Updated 4/22  The Captain of the Northern Belle, which went down Tuesday night in the frigid waters off Alaska, sacrificed himself to save his crew, one of the crewmen says.  You can see the interview with the crewman at our sister site MyBallard here.

Updated 7 a.m. The Coast Guard pulled four fishermen from the frigid Alaska waters after the Seattle-based boat Northern Belle sank on Tuesday evening. Three were suffering from hypothermia, and the fourth was unresponsive and receiving CPR treatment, the Coast Guard said last night. Medics were unable to revive the crewman, who had sustained a head injury while existing the boat, reports the Anchorage newspaper this morning.

A spokesperson said the Coast Guard received a mayday call at 5:30 p.m. that the crew of three men and a woman were abandoning the sinking 75-foot ship. "We have four people on board," said a crewmember on the call. "We are getting in the life raft. We are going down!" (Listen to the mayday call in two audio clips linked from this Coast Guard page.)

A rescue helicopter and HC-130 aircraft, along with a Coast Guard cutter, were dispatched to the scene, 50 miles south of Montague Island (see map). A spokesperson says the crew, wearing survival suits, was pulled from the water at 8 p.m. They were transported to medical personnel in Cordova, Alaska. The three surviving crew are doing well, a hospital spokesperson said.

The Northern Belle is based at Fishermen’s Terminal. You can see a photo of what appears to be the same boat at the terminal here. We’ll update you as we receive new information.

(U.S. Coast Guard photos by Petty Officer Sara Francis. More here.)

For the 82nd straight year, a gathering at Fishermen’s Terminal prayed for the safety of the men and women who harvest fish in the Pacific Northwest. This year, the captain and crew of Ariel received the blessing.

“Be with us now as we consecrate the vessel, Ariel and bless all the labors of those who work at sea,” said Pastor Erik Weiberg from Ballard First Lutheran Church. As is customary, he handed the captain a symbolic flag.

Brian Wartman accepted the flag and handed it to his son and co-captain, Adam, who raised it above the boat. A family operation, Ariel will head to Alaska in June to fish for salmon. Also at today’s ceremony, Mayor Mike McGinn, Rep. Reuven Carlyle, Sen. Jeanne Kohl-Welles, King County Council Chairperson Bob Ferguson and Port of Seattle Commissioner Bill Bryan.

This was the first time in 21 years that Rev. Malcolm Unseth, who passed away last April, did not conduct the blessing of the fleet. A tile has been placed in his honor at the Fishermen’s Memorial.

One of the names placed among flowers at the base of the memorial is Capt. Phil Harris, best known for his role in “Deadliest Catch.” He died in February after suffering a stroke off-loading crab in Alaska. Fishing is one of the nation’s most dangerous professions, especially here in the Northwest.

Flowers and photos remembering the five dead and two missing from the Ballard-based fishing vessel Katmai have been left at Fishermen’s Memorial.

Among the dead are Cedric Smith, Glenn Harper, Jake Gilman, Joshua Leonguerrero and Fuli Lemusu. Two are still missing, Carlos Zabala and Robert Davis. The Katmai sunk in rough seas, and four survived by clinging to a life raft for 17 hours in their survival suits. “They said initially there were seven people in the raft, and then there was a big wave and it got whittled down,” said a Coast Guard pilot. Hearings begin later this week to investigate the accident.

Hundreds braved the rain at Fishermen’s Terminal to celebrate the return of the North Pacific fishing fleet at the annual Fishermen’s Fall Festival.

One of the most popular events is the wild salmon filet challenge.

These guys are fast. The salmon, by the way, went straight on the BBQ. Yum. Other attractions included live music, demonstrations, a trout pond, oyster art, fish prints and face painting for the kids.

Kids could also build their own wooden boat. What could be cooler than that?

J.P. Patches, perhaps? Due to the rain, the turnout looked a little lower than average, but great fun was had by all.