3 fishermen dramatically rescued after boat capsizes in 12 foot waves
Three fishermen have been dramatically rescued off the coast of Oregon Tuesday night after their boat flipped over and capsized in waves up to 12 feet high.
The incident happened at Coos Bay, Oregon, at around 6:15 p.m. when the Coast Guard received a distress signal from the boat when the electronic position indicating radio beacons (EPIRB) were automatically activated, said Petty Officer First-Class Levi Read, according to ABC’s Portland affiliate station KATU.
The automatic alert delivered by the EPIRB informed authorities that the boat was actually sinking and the people on board were in grave danger.
An aircrew doing routine training exercises happened to spot the overturned fishing vessel called the “Pacific Miner” capsized on the jetty tips which allowed the Coast Guard to send out two boats and a helicopter to concentrate the rescue at the mouth of Coos Bay.
A video of the rescue performed by the local fire department surfaced on Facebook and the boat could be seen upside down slamming against rocks on the shore as crews rushed to rescue the trapped men. Rescuers could be seen braving the crashing waves as they opened the hull of the capsized boat with a saw.
"Everybody's safe, folks. We've got confirmation that everybody's safe and everybody's alive," said the man who shot the video of the rescue.
According to the Coast Guard, waves were breaking between 8 and 12 feet during the time the boat capsized. The Coast Guard said the men who were rescued were in okay condition but very cold.
