Three hunters rescued from Skagit Bay

SKAGIT COUNTY, Wash. — Three duck hunters were rescued Sunday after their boat capsized near the Skagit River entrance.

Officials with the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound said they got a request for assistance from the Skagit County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were attempting to rescue two men who were stranded in mudflats near the Skagit River entrance near Milltown.

A good Samaritan got one of the three hunters out and took him to a nearby marina to call 911, officials said.

Officials said a Coast Guard helicopter crew conducting training operations in the area of San Juan Island was deployed to rescue the other two men.

When crews arrived at the scene, they saw two men knee-deep in the water, attempting to reach shore on foot, officials said.

Crews said a rescue swimmer was sent to help the two men, and they were pulled up into the helicopter.

“They stayed with the vessel, got out of the water as best they could, and used life jackets they had kept onboard,” said Ensign Joshua Straits, a pilot aboard the rescue helicopter. “These decisions limited the effects of hypothermia and helped us to locate them quickly.”

The men were taken to a nearby baseball field to be checked out and were reportedly OK.

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