 September 16, 2003
During the search, the Coast Guard learned that the four men originally came from the fishing vessel Teal. Reportedly, the men began setting pots from the Teal's skiff when a line tangled in the skiff's propeller, prompting it to capsize. Tim and Ken Decker survived the ordeal while Ken Decker Jr. died and James Decker, a Sitka resident, remains missing. Ken Decker is the father of the other three men, and he hails from Montesano, Wash. James Decker's hometown is listed as Sitka, while Tim and Ken Decker Jr. originate from Bellingham, Wash. The Coast Guard responded to the search for the missing man, James Decker, after receiving notification from a person aboard the fishing vessel Infinity who saw two people stranded on the beach at Moser Island in Southeast Alaska. Good Samaritans aboard the vessel Humdinger recovered Tim and Ken Decker, and took them back to their vessel, the Teal. Aboard the Teal, the men safely returned to Sitka. The crew aboard 110-foot Ketchikan-based
cutter Naushon and an aircrew from Air Station Sitka searched
for Decker Saturday and Sunday. A Coast Guard Air Station Sitka
helicopter crew also participated in the search along with Alaska
State Troopers.
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