Three men rescued from sinking boat near Bellingham

Crew members from Coast Guard Station Bellingham rescued three men after their 57-foot fishing vessel washed onto the rocks in Squalicum Harbor Thursday morning.

The master of the vessel issued a mayday call on at 5:30 a.m., saying the vessel had broken away from the pier, had washed onto the rocks and was sinking near Squalicum Harbor.

Coast Guard personnel launched aboard two 45-foot response boats and found the three men clinging to the sinking vessel. Two of the men were wearing immersion suits.

“We were maneuvering in very shallow water and all the wind and waves were pushing against the stern of the small boat and pushing us against the vessel on the rocks,” said Chief Warrant Officer Charles Chavtur, commanding officer of Station Bellingham and coxswain of the RBM. “This storm is impressive and creating some very hazardous conditions across the area.  People should avoid being on or near the water.”

Crew members were able to get all three men safely aboard the response boats.

Pollution responders from Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound Incident Management Division and Washington Department of Ecology are monitoring salvage of the vessel, which could have as much as 1,500 gallons of diesel onboard.

Weather at the time was reported to be 5-foot seas, 40-knot winds with 50-knot gusts. The water temperature was 48 degrees.

Cox Media Group