LA PUSH — Three fishermen were reunited with family members after their boat sank in violent weather nearly 40 miles west of La Push.
U.S. Coast Guard units from La Push and Port Angeles worked together in dark, stormy conditions to pluck the fishermen from a life raft 38 miles from shore in the Pacific Ocean on Thursday morning.
Fishermen from the 38-foot fishing vessel FV Norn broadcast a mayday call at about 3:11 a.m. and reported the vessel was taking on water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
A 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Quillayute River and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station/Sector Field Office Port Angeles responded to the distress call.
The distress call was followed by a signal from an emergency position-indicating radio beacon registered to the Norn, and the Norn’s radio operator said the crew was putting on their survival gear and preparing to abandon ship into a life raft.
The Coast Guard reported the temperature was 38 degrees with 40 mph winds, rain, 14-foot seas and 48-degree water.
While en route, the rescue crews lost contact with the Norn, the Coast Guard said.
At about 5:10 a.m., the air crew located the Norn’s life raft but was unable to lower a rescue swimmer due to severe weather conditions.
Air crew members guided the motor lifeboat crew to the life raft’s location, and all three fishermen were taken aboard the Coast Guard vessel and their life raft recovered.
No one was injured during the rescue, the Coast Guard said.
The fishermen were transported to Coast Guard Station Quillayute River, where they were reunited with their families.
“I must commend the outstanding collaboration between both Coast Guard crews, as well as the fishermen for having and using multiple means of emergency communication and proper survival tools, ” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Scott Brazier, Joint Harbor Operations Center supervisor at Sector Puget Sound.
“The preparedness of the fishing vessel crew was instrumental in ensuring their own safety until our crews were able to rescue them,” Brazier said.
