Rough waters can be seen near the Coquille River bar where a Coast Guard air and boat crew and local agencies recovered three mariners whose vessel capsized near Bandon, Ore., Sept. 24, 2016.The bar is the area where the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean meet with the shallower waters near the mouth of the river.
U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Sector North Bend.
BANDON — Coast Guard air and boat crews and local agencies worked together to recover three mariners near Bandon, Ore., Saturday morning.
An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Sector North Bend recovered two mariners in the water while Bandon Police personnel recovered a third mariner from the rocks on the south jetty and transferred them to local Emergency Medical Service personnel.
At 9:20 a.m., Coast Guard Sector North Bend received a call from the Coquille River Sherriff’s office, after a local fisherman reported seeing an 18 to 20-foot recreational vessel being hit by a wave while crossing the Coquille River bar.
The three mariners were reported to be unresponsive and were transferred to local EMS personnel waiting in the south jetty parking lot, which had been closed to the public.
Agencies also on scene included Oregon State Police and California Highway Patrol personnel.
A Coast Guard 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Station Coos Bay, located in Charleston, reported 6 to 8-foot breaking waves when arriving on scene shortly after the incident occurred.
“The Coast Guard reminds mariners to always wear a lifejacket and check the national marine weather forecast prior to getting underway,” said Mr. Kary Moss, commanding officer, Coast Guard Station Coos Bay. "Prior to crossing the bar, any time there is a small craft advisory for hazardous seas, please contact the Coast Guard."
The vessel is beached and a salvage company has been contracted to recover the boat.
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