SEATTLE — The Coast Guard suspended the search for a missing fisherman after the fisherman contacted the Coast Guard and confirmed he was safe and headed back to Westport, Thursday.
The Coast Guard has recalled assets involved in the search, which included the crews of Coast Guard Cutter Wahoo, an 87-foot Coastal Patrol Boat homeported in Port Angeles, the Coast Guard Cutter Alert, a 210-foot Medium Endurance Cutter homeported in Warrenton, Oregon, a Navy Lockheed P-3 Orion aircrew from Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and a CC-115 Buffalo aircraft from the Royal Canadian 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron in Comox, British Columbia.
The fisherman received the Urgent Marine Information Broadcast Coast Guard Sector Columbia River personnel were transmitting over VHF-FM channel 16 and contacted them around 10:35 a.m. when he was 30 miles offshore of Westport.
“We’re both ecstatic to find to find the fisherman okay and proud of the outstanding coordination efforts made across the Coast Guard 13th and 11th districts, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and RCC Victoria,” said Mark Dobney, command duty officer at Sector Columbia River. “This situation also highlights the importance of filing a float plan and informing those you’ve notified if that plan changes.”
The initial release can be found here.