On April 10, 1986, the tugboat Roughneck was towing the barge Annahootz through Sergius Narrows near Sitka when the two vessels jackknifed, causing the tug to roll and sink. The powerful current reportedly forced the tug onto its side before it was pulled under. Three crew members escaped, but 56-year-old Clyde James Watson, Sr. and 32-year-old Fred Davis were lost in the frigid waters.

Search efforts began immediately but were hampered by the strong currents and difficult conditions in the narrows; neither man was recovered. Two days earlier the same tug and barge had been involved in a separate incident in Wrangell Narrows that resulted in a small fuel spill, underscoring the hazardous voyage they were undertaking.

If anyone has memories of the Roughneck, the barge Annahootz, or the crew from that spring 1986 voyage, the families would welcome any information or recollections. What did you know about this crew or their route?