30 people taken off
While the engine room fire aboard the "Arctic Storm" was out, the evacuation of 120 people aboard the vessel was underway. Four good samaritan vessels that were fairly small were evacuating the crew. Short past 6 p.m. on MAy 21, about 30 people had been taken off and transferred to other larger, nearby commercial fishing vessels, including the "Sea Dawn", "Northern Jaeger" and "Golden Alaska". One helicopter of the Coastguard remained on scene, along with at least the two 47-foot boats from the USCG Station Gray’s Harbor. The crew of the fish factory subdued the fire before the Coast Guard’s arrival using Halon, but the engine room was still too hot to even think about going in there. Right now the main concern was preserving life. Tugs were being brought out to tow the vessel into Aberdeen but probably won’t arrive before at least May 21.