The U.S. Coast Guard rescued two kiteboarders last Tuesday evening after they were swept out to sea near Damon Point in Grays Harbor County, Washington.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a notification from the Grays Harbor Communications 911 Center at around 8 p.m. In response, officials launched a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew and a 29-foot Response Boat-Small crew from Station Grays Harbor, along with an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria.
The helicopter crew battled low cloud ceilings and poor visibility for 25 minutes before spotting a woman stranded on a sandbar. Crew members hoisted her into the aircraft and were then notified by the Ocean Shores Police Department that a second person was stranded on a nearby rock jetty. The aircrew located the man and hoisted him to safety as well.
The aircrew landed at Ocean Shores Municipal Airport at 10:54 p.m. and transferred both kiteboarders to awaiting emergency medical services personnel. Search conditions at the time featured 12 mph winds, 1-foot waves, an air temperature of 58 degrees and a water temperature of 55 degrees.
“2 hours is a long time in that wind and water and they stayed with it,” said search-and-rescue mission coordinator Lt. Cmdr. Alex Cardenas, who commended the multi-agency coordination and the endurance of the kiteboarders. “Dispatch relayed the call quickly and the aircrew flew a tough approach twice in very limited visibility. The two kiteboarders did the hardest part before we ever got overhead.”
Check out a video of the rescue here.
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