SEQUIM — A Port Townsend man was taken into custody by Sequim police Tuesday afternoon after a Coast Guard helicopter crew found him standing on the bow of his boat in Sequim Bay, naked, waving flares and making obscene gestures.

The man’s name was not immediately available because the investigation was ongoing, said Petty Officer Tom Winter, a spokesman for Coast Guard District 13 in Seattle.

A Dolphin helicopter from Coast Guard Group/Air Station Port Angeles was flying over Sequim Bay at 2:32 p.m. when crew members saw what they thought was a possible boat fire.

The helicopter circled back to the vessel to investigate and found a man on the bow of a boat waving distress flares while acting erratically and making obscene gestures.

Response boat launched

A Coast Guard 25-foot response boat was launched from Station Port Angeles to investigate.

The crew of the Coast Guard boat found the man naked and screaming obscenities while hitting his head on the deck of the boat.

“When we see flares, we automatically think distress,” Winter said.

“When they got there, they said, ‘Wait a minute, that guy isn’t wearing any clothes.”‘

Coast Guard officials instructed the man to put on some clothes and then he was detained aboard the Coast Guard vessel.

The man was taken to John Wayne Marina in Sequim, where he was turned over to Sequim police.

He was then transported to Olympic Medical Center for further evaluation.