Unalaska, AK – A man fell overboard from the catcher-processor Rebecca Irene this weekend and the Coast Guard has called off the search. Thirty-eight year old Nhial Opiew was a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from Kenya. The crew of the Rebecca Irene reported him missing to the Coast Guard around 8:30 am on Saturday after he didn't report for watch duty. No one witnessed him fall overboard. The boat was bottom trawling for Pacific Ocean Perch about 24 miles southeast of Umnak Island in the Aleutian chain. The Coast Guard then launched a C-130 aircraft from Air Station Kodiak and an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter from the Coast Guard Cutter Alex Haley.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Charley Hengen said, "Unfortunately, due to the poor visibility and the vast off-shore distances, we couldn't really search effectively."

The Coast Guard later sent a third helicopter to help with the search. Two Good Samaritan vessels also helped scour an area of about one hundred square miles for 14 hours. The Coast Guard officially called off the search at 12:30 am on Sunday. Conditions at the time included 23 to 28 mph winds with seas eight to ten feet and visibility of a quarter mile. The sea temperature was 43 degrees. The 140-foot, Seattle vessel continued with its voyage.

In the Northern Bering Sea, the Coast Guard conducted a successful rescue mission. Twenty-eight year old Jean-Gabriel Chelala was trying to kayak from Emmonak to Gambell as part of his quest to circumnavigate the globe using only human power, including a kayak and a bicycle. The French man reportedly missed Gambell and ended up 40 miles north of St. Lawrence Island. Reportedly he was exhausted and mildly hypothermic. Conditions in the area were south winds of 23 miles per hour and six foot seas. Using his satellite phone he contacted the Alaska State Troopers who relayed the call to the Coast Guard. They picked him up with a rescue basket off of an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and transported him to Nome for treatment. He is in good condition and according to his website he is considering what to do next. He started his journey in France in January of 2008, crossed the Atlantic in a kayak and biked from Florida to Alaska.