WARRENTON, Ore. — The Coast Guard assisted three people on a sailing vessel taking on water 10 miles west of Gold Beach, Saturday.
A 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Coast Guard Search-and-Rescue detachment Rogue River in Wedderburn, helped the three people dewater the 24-foot sailing vessel Kestrel and then helped safely tow them Brookings.
After watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend received a mayday call from the vessel over VHF-FM channel 16 at 5:39 p.m., the boatcrew was launched to assist, arriving on scene at 6:22 p.m.
Rescue boatcrew personnel utilized a P-6 dewatering pump to control the water flooding into the sailing vessel. The water was reportedly coming from the area around a broken propulsion shaft on the vessel.
“Every emergency case is made easier when boaters are prepared for an emergency and are able to call for help and let us know where they are,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam Preiser, MLB coxswain. “My dependable crew’s training came in handy today and we are glad everything turned out for the best.”
After controlling the flooding, the boatcrew began towing the vessel toward Brookings. At 9:19 p.m. the Rogue River boatcrew met up with another MLB crew from Coast Guard Station Chetco River in Brookings, who finished the tow, safely mooring the vessel a little after 1 a.m. Sunday.