PORT GAMBLE — A U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Sector Field Office/Air Station Port Angeles helped in the rescue of two people and four dogs from a sinking vessel 1.5 miles east of Point No Point on Tuesday night.
A Coast Guard Station Seattle crew member plugged a hole in the stern of the vessel and used a dewatering pump to remove nearly 2 feet of water before the remainder of the rescue crew towed the boat, people and pets to Edmonds Marina, according to a news release.
Watchstanders in the Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound command center responded to a call for help at about 8:30 p.m. from the captain of a 26-foot pleasure craft, reporting his vessel was taking on water.
The watchstanders issued an urgent marine information broadcast requesting assistance from any mariners in the area and also diverted an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Port Angeles and launched a crew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium (RBM) from Station Seattle.
The crew of the Victoria Clipper, a catamaran-style passenger vessel, was in the area and stood by with the pleasure craft in case of an abandon-ship situation.
The Dolphin aircrew arrived on scene at about 9 p.m., and the RBM crew arrived on scene at about 9:20 p.m.
Weather conditions were 5 mph winds, 1-foot seas and a water and air temperature of about 55 degrees.
