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FISHING VESSEL SINKS NEAR LONG BEACH, WASH.
SEATTLE - The Coast Guard saved two Canadians after their 50-foot fishing vessel sunk 65 miles west of Long Beach, Wash.
Coast Guard Group/Air Station Astoria, Ore., received a distress call
from the operator of the fishing vessel Scotian on VHF channel 16 at
7:30 a.m., reporting his vessel was taking on water.
An HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Astoria and a 47-foot
motor lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor, Wash., were
launched to assist. The helicopter located the Scotian and
lowered two dewatering pumps to the vessel. The two person crew
attempted to dewater the vessel but were unsuccessful.
The operator reported the vessel's position to the Coast Guard while
the crew prepared their life raft for release. The crew donned
lifejackets and activated their emergency position indicating radio
beacon.
The crew of the 47-foot motor lifeboat transferred the two people
aboard the Scotian over to the motor lifeboat and returned to Station
Grays Harbor.
There are several simple things that every kind of boater can do before
setting out that can drastically reduce the risk of accidents and
prevent serious injuries or death. This case is a prime example
of boaters taking the necessary safety precautions before getting
underway. Some tips to remember:
Wear a life jacket
The most important thing boaters should remember is to always wear a
life jacket. Sixty-four percent of the people who have perished so far
this year in Northwest boating accidents were not wearing lifejackets.
If lifejackets had been worn, 14 people would have had a much better
chance at surviving their accident. Eight out of nine people in
Washington State that have perished in 2005 boating accidents drowned
without having a lifejacket.
Choose to file a float plan and have an EPIRB
Another important step to take is to file a float plan. Filing a float
plan is as simple as telling friends, family and/or marina
owners/operators where you are going and what time you expect to be
back. Float plans help searchers through the guess work when you don't
return as expected from a boating trip. You can find a written float
plan at www.uscgaux/~130/.
Another piece of lifesaving equipment, especially for those of you who
venture in the offshore waters, is an Electronic Position Indicating
Radio Beacon. When an EPIRB is activated, the Coast Guard receives a
position readout from the device's signal. This helps alert the Coast
Guard to your distress and also aids them in finding your location.
Both of these steps will greatly assist the Coast Guard in locating
boaters should they be reported missing or overdue.
The distress call from the Scotian can be found at the following link:
http://www.piersystem.com/clients/uscg-13/45644.wav
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The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service within the
Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and security of America.
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