PORT ANGELES — Coast Guard aircrews rescued several people during two separate cases in the region this week.
On Monday, a Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles aircrew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter medically evacuated a 70-year-old women from a sailing vessel that ran aground near Sucia Island in the vicinity of Oak Harbor.
Another aircrew that day rescued four hikers who were stranded on rocks by a high tide at the south end of Third Beach in the Olympic National Park.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a distress call at 12:45 p.m., via VHF-FM radio channel 16 from the captain of a 36-foot sailing vessel reporting the grounding and saying one of the passengers had been hurt.
The vessel had three people on board. The sailing vessel was towed to Anacortes and the adult male and child were removed from the vessel by BoatUS.
The injured woman was hoisted into the Dolphin helicopter and transported to Bellingham Hospital via emergency medical services from the Bellingham Airport.
At 12:52 p.m., watchstanders at Sector Puget Sound received a call from Olympic National Park Rangers reporting four people stranded on the rocks off Third Beach.
Rangers said that the hikers had walked off the beach about 100 to 150 yards onto adjacent rocks prior to high tide.
The changing tide left them with no escape route. A Coast Guard aircrew was diverted to the scene and hoisted the four hikers to safety.
No injuries or medical concerns were reported.
