Survivor of capsized boat in the Gulf of Alaska talks about harrowing efforts to survive



EDMONDS, Wash. -- Dean Gribble Jr. of Edmonds is one of two people rescued from the crab boat that went down in Alaska.

“From sleeping to swimming, it was about 10 minutes. It was, it happened really fast. Everyone was trying, everyone was trying to get out,” Gribble Jr. said.

In a YouTube video the survivor talked about his frightening efforts to survive as the Scandies Rose took on water and started to sink.

“We are in 20 foot seas, blowing 40, icy conditions, worst possible conditions. I’ve been fishing for 20 years, you know you can’t make it,” Gribble Jr. said.

Gribble and a second crew member, John Lawler, ended up in frigid waters but managed to get on a life raft holding on for about 5 hours until they were rescued.

In the video, the survivor also expressed frustration over safety equipment on the raft.

Gribble’s dad says a positioning beacon on the raft wasn’t working and if it wasn’t for a flashlight, he says a rescue helicopter may have not seen the raft.

“Fishermen work so hard, that had to be terrifying for him,” former neighbor Nicole Murphy said.

Murphy says she is relieved that Gribble made it.

“I feel bad that I am here and they are not,” Gribble Jr. said.

Brock Rainey is one of the crew members still missing. His girlfriend Ashley Boggs spoke to Q13 News over the phone Thursday night, a day after rescue efforts were suspended.

“I really want to believe he`s out there, he has to be out there, I don`t see him giving up,” Boggs said.

At least now, the two survivors are able to give other loved ones details of what happened.

Gerry Knagin says her brother is the captain of the Scandies Rose and her nephew is also a crew member.

“Where was my brother? They say the last time they saw him was in the wheelhouse and when the boat went down he was still in the wheelhouse,” Knagin said.

Gary Cobban Jr. is the captain of the boat, his son is David Lee Cobban.

The survivors say the last time they saw David was when he said he had to go find his dad.

The others missing have been identified as Arthur Ganacias and Seth Rousseau-Gano.