Tillamook County Sheriff's Office, Oregon - Press Release 07-15-2006
http://www.tillamooksheriff.org
Three men rescued after boat sinks near Tillamook
12:21 PM PDT on Saturday, July 15, 2006
By KRISTINA BRENNEMAN / kgw.com
TILLAMOOK, Ore. -- The Coast Guard rescued three fishermen Friday night off the Oregon Coast
near Tillamook, more than 7 hours after their boat sunk.
Paramedics rush to the aid of three men rescued from the Pacific Ocean near Tillamook.
The men were found clinging to an ice chest floating amidst their boat debris in the Pacific,
according to Lt. Jr. Petty Officer Justin Denton of the North Bend Coast Guard station.
Only one of them wore a life jacket, he said.
A Coast Guard HH-60 helicopter from Air Station Astoria lifted the men from the 64-degree
temperature water and covered them in blankets. They were transported by ambulance to
Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport for treatment of hypothermia.
One of the men was discharged Saturday morning from the hospital; the other two are in
stable condition at the hospital, authorities said.
The search for the men, who were fishing for tuna, started around 1:30 p.m. when a
mayday call was received by the Coast Guard. The call came from 45 miles offshore.
Four helicopters and one C-130 search plane searched for hours for the vessel and its
passengers before finding the men alive around 8 p.m.
Debris and an oil sheen were discovered at around 5 p.m. prompting the Coast Guard to
divert two 47-foot response boats to the scene.
A cooler and jacket were found floating within 10 miles of the debris and the Coast
Guard dispatched one of the two boats to the site.