Coast Guard Responds With Several Agencies to Capsized Vessel

Only two people out of six were wearing their life jackets when the boat rolled over near Manhattan Beach, Oregon.

The Coast Guard Group/Air Station Astoria launched a rescue helicopter crew. File photo.

(MANHATTAN BEACH, Ore.) - The Coast Guard, Rockaway Beach, Oregon Police and Fire, the Tillamook Sheriff's department, Nehalem Fire and Tillamook County EMS responded to a report of six people in distress after the 21-foot boat they were in capsized at the entrance to Nehalem Bay, Monday.

A Coast Guard official reports that around 12:55 p.m., their rescue station at Tillamook Bay received a call from Tillamook County 911 relaying a report from a Good Samaritan of a capsized boat at the entrance of Nehalem Bay.

The Coast Guard crews at Tillamook Bay launched two rescue boat crews to the Nehalem Bay entrance and a beach crew to the Nehalem Bay South jetty to assist local police, fire and sheriff crews who were also responding.

The Coast Guard Group/Air Station Astoria, also launched a rescue helicopter crew.

It is reported that three of the boaters made it to shore where they were assisted by rescue crews. Three of the boaters made it to the Nehalem Bay South jetty and were assisted to shore by Coast Guard, police, fire, and sheriff rescue crews.

Tillamook County EMS transported five of the six boaters to Tillamook County Hospital for reported minor injuries. The condition of the five is unknown at this time.

The 21-foot boat capsized and reportedly sank, no pollution has been reported at this time.

It was reported that of the six people rescued only two were wearing life jackets.

"The Coast Guard strongly encourages boaters to wear life jackets at all times regardless of age, especially when crossing coastal bars," said Petty Officer 1st Class Donald Lanham of Station Tillamook Bay.

In 2008, two-thirds of all fatal boating accident victims drowned; and of those, 90 percent were not wearing a life jacket.