James Sturm, 45, of Sitka, was arrested Feb. 19 and charged with manslaughter, criminally negligent homicide and felony assault in the deaths of two young men in a boat sinking near Sitka two years ago.

An Alaska state troopers investigation determined that Sturm was intoxicated while operating the 26-foot vessel with five Sitka men on board when it capsized and sank off Khaz Point, near Chichagof Island, on the evening of Jan. 9, 2024.

Sturm and two other men on the boat were rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Sitka helicopter crew after the boat capsized. The bodies of Darren Borbridge and Sayer Tuzon, both 18, were located in the boat cabin, but stormy weather and rough seas precluded their recovery.

Conditions at the time of the rescue included nine-foot seas, 31-degree air temperatures and 44-degree water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.

Sturm was indicted by a Sitka grand jury on the charges on Feb. 19. He was arrested without incident, the state troopers said. He was arraigned on the charges on Feb. 20, and an appearance bond was set at $50,000 cash.

The group was returning from a hunting trip on Chichagof Island, about 40 miles northwest of Sitka, according to reporting by Sitka’s KCAW radio. Tuzon was going to graduate from high school that year and Borbridge was about to become a father, the station reported.