Coast Guard rescues 6 from capsized boat - Video, Audio, Photos Available

ASTORIA, Ore. - The Coast Guard rescued six Oregon National Guardsmen from a capsized 32-foot vessel approximately two miles from the mouth of the Columbia River near Ilwaco, Wash.

Coast Guard Group/Air Station Astoria received a brief mayday call without a location at approximately 10 a.m. The call was received by the Coast Guard’s Rescue 21 communications tower on Megler Mountain, Wash. The Rescue 21 system provided rescuers with a single line of bearing from where the mayday call originated.

“In this case, an uncorrelated mayday, where the radio transmission does not include a position and nature of distress, the Rescue 21 communication system proved extremely valuable.” said Cmdr. Jeffery Kotson, Group/Air Station Astoria’s operations officer.

A 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Cape Disappointment, Wash., and an MH-60J rescue helicopter crew from Group/Air Station Astoria were immediately sent to the area to assist. A watchstander in the Cape Disappointment observation tower spotted six persons waving while stranded on top of the overturned boat. A rescue swimmer was lowered from the rescue helicopter to help bring the six men safely off the vessel and over to the awaiting crew of the motor lifeboat.