In Praise of Persistence 

On Wednesday, 28 December 2022, personnel of Washington State’s U.S. Coast Guard Station Port Angeles rescued one person and two dogs from a sailing vessel that lost power prior to running aground offshore British Columbia, Canada’s Vancouver Island.

Early Wednesday morning, Watchstanders at Seattle’s Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received word of a sailing vessel having lost power and run aground approximately three-miles west of the Jordan River on the Canadian side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca—the body of water by which northwestern Washington State and Vancouver Island are separated. The vessel was reported to be occupied by one person and an unknown number of dogs.

Watchstanders directed the launch of an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles to rescue the stranded boater and beasties. Located some 55-nautical-miles northwest of Seattle and comprising a single, 4,480-foot runway (08/26), a number of helipads, and a smattering of structures, Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles balances precariously atop a whisp-thin, three-nautical-mile-long sand-spit called Ediz Hook.

The MH-65 aircrew proceeded 31-nautical-miles northwest of Ediz Hook, arriving on scene shortly after 01:00 PST. The waiting boater and one dog were hoisted aboard the helicopter and transported to the Canadian Coast Guard Station in Victoria, British Columbia.

Later Wednesday, the U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 crew returned to the vicinity of the marooned vessel for purpose of assessing the wreckage for pollution and salvage potential.

Arriving on scene at approximately 11:00 PST, the air-crew, while overflying the stranded craft, spotted another dog within the wreckage.

A Coast Guard rescue swimmer deployed from the helicopter and recovered the dog. The cold, frightened, but otherwise sound beastie was transported to the Canadian Coast Guard Station in Victoria—the selfsame facility to which its ostensible master and fellow-canine had been safely delivered earlier that day

Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles pilot Lieutenant John Schultz remarked: "AET3 Austen Marshall and AST1 Lucas Wengrin did a phenomenal job effecting a challenging rescue in the heavy surf, as the sailing vessel smashed against the rocks. Their patience and technical expertise in a highly dynamic environment directly led to the safe recovery of the mariner and his two dogs. We are thankful for the happy outcome!"

The successful search and rescue mission was conducted in coordination with Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) Victoria.

FMI: www.uscg.mil