NEWPORT, Ore. — Coast Guard crews assisted local agencies in rescuing a man with a reported back injury from South Jetty in Yaquina Bay, Thursday.
An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew, from Coast Guard Air Facility Newport, assisted in rescuing a 50-year-old man by hoisting him from the jetty and transferring him to Lincoln County Fire Department personnel in a nearby parking lot.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend received a call around 4:15 p.m. from Lincoln County Fire Dispatch operators requesting assistance in evacuating a man who had reportedly fallen and suffered a spinal injury.
A 25-foot Response Boat-Small crew launched around 4:17 p.m. from Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay, arrived on scene 15 minutes later and assessed the situation.
The Dolphin crew arrived on scene around 5:24 p.m., hoisted the man from the jetty and safely delivered him to the ambulance in the parking lot after a landing space had been sectioned off by the boat crew.
"Working together we were able to quickly determine the best course of action," said Petty Officer 1st Class Frank Benetka, duty personnel at Station Yaquina River. "Cases like this highlight the great relationships we have in working with local responders to ensure the safety of those in need."
The man was transported from the parking lot by ambulance to the Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport.