US Coast Guard rescues 4 people in one week after boats capsize near Oregon
The U.S. Coast Guard pulled two people from the Columbia River near Astoria Sunday after their boat capsized, and last Wednesday rescued another two when their commercial fishing boat capsized off the coast in southern Oregon.
The 13th District Public Affairs Department confirmed Thursday that the man in the Columbia River incident, Kenneth McAllister, died from drowning.
On Sunday, a caller from the shore notified crews after seeing a boat capsize and two people going into the water. Crews responded at about 3 p.m. to find a woman who had climbed to the top of a channel marker, according to a release from the Coast Guard. A rescue swimmer was sent to grab her before a chopper lifted them both from the water.
About 20 minutes later, a man was found face-up in the water. According to a U.S. Coast Guard petty officer, the man was “unresponsive and not breathing.” Crews were lowered in by helicopter to recover him.
“The rescue swimmer, with the help of the boat crew, got the unresponsive male aboard the Coast Guard 29-foot response boat,” Petty Officer Michael Clark with the U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs District 13 said.
CPR was performed on the man before he was taken to Olympic Medical Center. According to the Coast Guard, the man remained “unresponsive when transferred from Coast Guard care.”
The woman was reported to be in stable condition when transferred to medical personnel at Air Station Astoria, according to the release.
It's unclear what caused the boat to capsize.
“It's not an uncommon occurrence that vessels capsize,” Clark said. “But it's extremely speculative just based on the different types of vessels that are out there … each situation is very different.”
Another Coast Guard rescue off the Oregon Coast
Last Wednesday, the Coast Guard rescued two other boaters in southern Oregon after their commercial fishing vessel capsized off the coast of Nesika Beach. Crews were notified by the wife of the captain when he didn't return to the marina on time.
The men spent almost eight hours sitting on top of the hull of the boat, according to the Coast Guard. Both showed signs of hypothermia after being rescued but made it back safely.
How to stay safe in the water
“If you do find yourself in the water, it's smart to stay with the vessel hole if it's at the surface,” Clark said. “That definitely makes it easier for us to find people who might be in the water, especially commercial vessels with a registered locator beacon.”
Other tips include:
Always wear a life jacket.
Dress for the temperature of the water, not the air temperature.
Check weather conditions before heading out.
“Preparation for an emergency is always key,” Clark added.
Abigail Landwehr is an outdoors journalism intern for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at alandwehr@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Coast Guard rescues 4 people in a week after boats capsize
