This morning, the U.S. Coast Guard successfully rescued three crew members who had abandoned their burning fishing vessel, the 35-foot Havanna, approximately 17 miles west of Cannon Beach, Oregon. The crew members were forced to abandon the vessel and took refuge in a life raft while waiting for help to arrive.
An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew was dispatched from Air Facility Newport to conduct the rescue. Upon locating the life raft, the helicopter crew lowered a rescue swimmer, who detached from the helicopter and swam to the raft to assist the survivors. The helicopter crew then hoisted all three crew members, along with the rescue swimmer, and transported them safely to Air Station Astoria, arriving around 8:24 a.m.
Once ashore, the rescued crew members were transferred to local emergency medical service technicians for evaluation. Petty Officer 3rd Class Nate Littlejohn stated that all three crew members appeared to be in decent condition but were likely being assessed for potential hypothermia due to exposure to the cold waters.
In addition to the helicopter, a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Tillamook Bay was also on the scene at the location of the burning Havanna, providing additional support during the rescue operation.
The quick and coordinated response by the Coast Guard helped ensure the safety of the crew, demonstrating the effectiveness of their search and rescue training in high-risk maritime environments.