The loss of five lives aboard the seiner Wind Walker earlier this month was the latest in a string of tragedies that has shaken Sitka this year, from a January boating accident that killed two teens to the apparent bear mauling of a local fisheries advocate in October. In a two-hour vigil at the University of Alaska Southeast boat ramp on Saturday, more than 80 Sitkans and visitors gathered to share stories of loss.
Paul Rioux, who organized the event with Nalani James, said they wanted the community to have a space to come together in grief.
“When someone is hurting, we can’t usually see the mess, and even if we could see it, we can’t reach into their hearts and put things back into the right places,” he said. “What we can do is acknowledge one another – give one another permission to hurt. Today, you all have permission to hurt. We can offer that love to one another.”…