Crew called ship 'Ranger Danger'

The Alaska Ranger is seen at a port in Dutch Harbor, Jan. 2006.

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Story Published: Mar 27, 2008 at 8:22 AM PDT

Story Updated: Mar 27, 2008 at 5:28 PM PDT

By KOMO Staff & News Services

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ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) - The crew of the Alaska Ranger that sank off the Aleutian Islands believed the vessel was unsafe, and that their employer delayed making needed repairs, a survivor told ABC News.

The Alaska Ranger was in such disrepair its crew members had nicknamed it "the Ranger Danger," 22-year-old Jeremy Freitag said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon.

That claim was backed up by two other crew members who had previously served on the ship.

"There were a lot of problems onboard the ship that were constantly ignored," Freitag said.

"They just wanted to fish," said the Lebanon, Ore. native. "They didn't care about the repairs...There was always an excuse."

The Alaska Ranger sank Sunday 120 miles west of Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands. Four crew died and one is missing.

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