Utah family holds onto hope after loved one went missing off Alaskan coast
By Averie Klonowski
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SOUTH JORDAN, Utah (KSTU) — Just after midnight Sunday morning, the U.S. Coast Guard was notified of a commercial fishing boat that had capsized southwest of Juneau, Alaska with five people on board. Following a 24-hour search covering over 100 nautical miles in winter weather conditions, the search was suspended.
Alex Zamantakis, 28, who grew up in Magna and went to high school in Stansbury Park, is one of those missing. Over the last few years, Alex had been working as a fisherman and deckhand in the waters off Alaska.
“My hope is they’re sitting on the shore someplace, huddled up under some logs or leaves, waiting for somebody to come rescue them,” said Mike Zamantakis, Alex’s Dad.
The last few days have been extremely difficult for the entire Zamantakis family after receiving word that the Coast Guard’s search had, for the most part, come up empty.
“You just don’t imagine losing one of your sons like this. I’ve got three boys and one daughter. Alex is my youngest,” Mike said.
The family is staying hopeful, saying they have received support from friends and family that has been helpful.
“I pretty much begged [the Coast Guard’s] Chief Warrant Officer Coon if they could stay out there just a little bit longer,” Mike explained. “I told him that I’ve been watching the weather.”
“They found two strobe lights, flashing, floating in the water, and they found some fishing gear. No people, no bodies, no life raft and no boat,” added Nick Zamantakis, Alex’s brother.
The family explained how even with the circumstances, they are trying to be optimistic.
“We don’t know, we still don’t know — he could be out there. He could be OK,” Nick said.
The Zamantakis family is expressing gratitude to all who have reached out to them.
“I still have hope that maybe they’ll be found because they haven’t found the lifeboat,” said Mike.
The family started a GoFundMe to support Alex’s 6-month-old son and longtime girlfriend in Alaska.
“Times are tough in America. It’s the holiday season and there’s people that are putting out for a friend,” Mike shared, “so it means a lot to me.”
Through the hard times, everyone is thinking of Alex’s young son who they said is the light of his life.
“Where do we go from here, you know?” asked Nick. “The biggest thing is that baby. My brother loved that baby. And now he’ll never know his dad.
“That eats me up bad.”
As the hours turn to days, Alex’s family stays positive with an immense amount of hope.
“I just don’t want to give up on him,” said Nick.
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