ASTORIA, Ore. — The captain of a small sailboat was saved from the waves near Astoria on Wednesday after he was forced to abandon ship. He was rescued by crews from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).
According to USCG, the man's 26-foot sailboat was disabled off the coast of Fort Stevens, not far from Astoria. Video of the ordeal shows the boat repeatedly hit broadside by surging whitecaps.
While the boat does not capsize, one of its sails can be seen fluttering limply into the water below. The captain appears unable to keep his bow toward the waves in order to head away from shore and reduce the impact of incoming swells.
After enduring repeated hits from the waves, the man jumped overboard and paddled away from his sailboat. USCG said that he was rescued by a boat crew stationed at Cape Disappointment and taken to emergency services for evaluation.
A subsequent photo posted by USCG showed the sailboat washed ashore at Fort Stevens State Park.
According to KGW Chief Meteorologist Matt Zaffino, seas were running between 12 and 14 feet along the northern Oregon Coast on Thursday, with winds gusting between 25 to 30 miles per hour.
"Somewhat unpleasant, but by Oregon Coast standards, somewhat standard," Zaffino said. "But more like a winter day, just like everywhere else in the Northwest of late."
Just a day prior, Coast Guard crews from Tillamook Bay worked with a good Samaritan to save two people whose 14-foot boat was taking on water near the bar entrance. One of them was in the water, while the other was still in the flooded boat. USCG said that both were rescued and taken to emergency services.
At the end of April, a Coast Guard helicopter crew saved two teenage siblings who were stranded on a rocky shore and nearly swept into the ocean near Depoe Bay. The teens were hoisted up and brought to safety roughly one hour from when the initial 911 call came in, according to USCG.
Earlier this year, a Coast Guard rescue mission ended in tragedy after a fishing boat went down off the coast of Florence, killing the captain and a single crew member. They were identified as 68-year-old Mike Morgan and 39-year-old Billie Jo Hooton — both mourned by their community and families.