NORTH BEND, Ore. — A Coast Guard aircrew from Air Facility Newport rescued a man from a capsized boat about a mile west of Devil’s Punchbowl State Park, Monday morning.
The aircrew safely hoisted the man aboard the MH-65 Dolphin helicopter and transported him to the Air Facility in good condition.
The Dolphin aircrew was in the air patrolling nearby at 11:45 a.m., when members saw a man sitting atop a capsized 16-foot boat. The aircrew deployed a rescue swimmer, and safely hoisted the man into the aircraft. The man was reportedly out fishing when he was knocked over by a wave.
“He was wearing his lifejacket when the boat capsized and that allowed him to stay above the surface and then climb onto the boat,” said Lt. j.g. Dustin Brecher, Dolphin helicopter pilot. “If the life jacket didn’t directly save his life, then it put him in a position to be rescued.”
The Coast Guard recommends that mariners wear a properly fitting Coast Guard-approved life jacket at all times while underway. A life jacket can't save your life if you're not wearing it.
Weather on scene was reported to be 4-to-7 foot waves with 10-to-15 knot winds and a water temperature of 58 degrees.