Alaska Ship Rescue Left No Time to Spare

"In the end, it would have been too dangerous to lower them on board," McLaughlin said.

The Jayhawk flew another 50 miles to the cutter, which was not equipped for such a large aircraft to land.

So one by one, survivors again found themselves in baskets. They were lowered to the ship and escorted to a mess hall converted into a medical ward with heaters, bags of intravenous fluids, special sleeping bags to fight hypothermia and warm blankets.

In the meantime, the Warrior was able to take crew members from life rafts, and the helicopters plucked more survivors from the sea.

At one point Petty Officer 3rd Class Abe Heller remained in the water so there would be enough room on the helicopter for the survivors, and to keep tabs on three remaining crew members.

Watching the survivors regroup after the rescue, Lloyd, the captain of the Munro, spotted one fisherman designing a new tattoo: an anchor and the words, "Ranger Survivor."

Coast Guard members say their efforts worked not just because of their rigorous training, but the quick thinking of the crew.

The captain of the Alaska Ranger, Eric Peter Jacobsen, made sure his crew put on survival jackets before going overboard, according to secondhand reports from friends of crew members. The crew themselves were ordered not to talk to the media by the vessel's owner, the Seattle-based Fishing Company of Alaska.

The survivors were ultimately returned to Dutch Harbor, where the fateful journey began for the Alaska Ranger.

The Munro brought the last group in late Monday. Only one crewman, Alex Olivares, spoke as he and others were hustled from the ship to waiting cabs.