Couple, dog rescued from Dungeness Spit after sailboat mishap

SEQUIM — A couple and their dog were rescued from Dungeness Spit after their 38-foot sailboat washed up on the rocks.

The passengers reported the sailboat had run aground Thursday but they and their dog were able to make it safely to shore via an attached dinghy and awaited assistance, U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Diolanda Caballero wrote in an email.

Sector Puget Sound launched Small Boat Station Port Angeles, which arrived on scene and coordinated with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to rescue the couple and their dog and take them to John Wayne Marina, Caballero said.

The U.S. Coast Guard called the Department of Fish and Wildlife police to assist in the rescue, said Becky Elder, public information officer.

The dinghy landed on the most remote portion of the shore, so the department’s smaller vessel was necessary to reach the couple and their dog, she said in a phone interview.

The sailboat had about 10 gallons left in its 20-gallon tank plus two five-gallon cans of diesel fuel on board, according to Caballero’s email.

Department of Ecology spokesman Ty Keltner said Friday afternoon that no fuel spill had been reported.

“We are working with the owner to get it removed. I understand they are trying to get it removed now. We’ll see what happens,” he said.

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Reporter Brian Gawley can be reached by email at brian.gawley@peninsuladailynews.com.

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