Coast Guard crews aid two mariners aboard the 41-foot sailing vessel Ronan after they ran aground near the entrance to Willapa Bay, Wash., Oct. 21, 2015. A rescue swimmer from Coast Guard Air Station Astoria was lowered onto a nearby beach and safely escorted the two mariners from the vessel to the shore while a 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Station Grays Harbor. Wash., was on scene to assist and monitor the situation. U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Goodman.
Petty Officer 1st Class Bradford Simmons, an aviation survival technical from Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, Ore., enters the water to escort two mariners off the sailing vessel Ronan after it grounded near the entrance to Willapa Bay, Wash., Oct. 21, 2015. The vessel's operator had lost GPS and radar due to electrical issues while traveling up the coast from Coos Bay, Ore. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Goodman.
Petty Officer 1st Class Bradford Simmons, an aviation survival technical from Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, Ore., escorts two mariners to shore from their vessel after it grounded near the entrance to Willapa Bay, Wash., Oct. 21, 2015. In addition to the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, a 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Station Grays Harbor, Wash., was also on scene to assist and help monitor the situation. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Daniel Goodman.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, Ore., sits on a nearby beach while the crew's rescue swimmer assists two mariners off their grounded vessel near Willapa Bay, Wash., Oct. 21, 2015. Incident Management Division personnel from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River in Astoria, Ore., are consulting with the owner to determine the best course of action regarding the grounded vessel. U.S. Coast Guard photo courtesy of Air Station Astoria.
SEATTLE — Coast Guard crews aided two mariners aboard a 41-foot sailing vessel that ran aground at the entrance to Willapa Bay near Tokeland, Wednesday.
Incident Management Division personnel from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River in Warrenton, Ore., are consulting with the owner to determine the best course of action regarding the grounded vessel.
The vessel had reportedly experienced electrical issues and lost GPS and radar while sailing up the coast from Coos Bay, Ore.
Sector Columbia River watchstanders received a distress call around 6:07 a.m. from the owner of the sailing vessel Ronan after it had gone aground near the Willapa Bay entrance.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, Ore., and a 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Station Grays Harbor launched in response.
The aircrew was unable to hoist due to the position and unpredictable motions of the vessel. A rescue swimmer was lowered onto the nearby beach, where he safely escorted the two mariners from the vessel to the shore.
"As unstable conditions grew, the crew of the sailing vessel had the proper survival suits and life jackets to don when it came time to abandon ship," said Senior Chief Petty Officer Joseph Dalida, command duty officer at Sector Columbia River. "The last place you want to be when you find out you don't have the proper safety equipment is in an emergency."
The weather on scene was reported as an air temperature of 47 degrees and water temperature of 57 degrees, with 10 mph winds.