On Saturday, March 20, 2021, three men were rescued by a Coast Guard crew after their vessel sank five miles off the coast of La Push, Washington. The three men were found floating around debris without lifejackets late Saturday afternoon when Coast Guard officials rescued them. According to the Coast Guard, the large vessel was en route from Tacoma to California before taking on water and sinking.
The Coast Guard Puget Sound Command Center received a distress signal about a reported vessel taking on water and sinking. Minutes later a rescue crew was dispatched to begin a search for the vessel. Once the rescue crew arrived to rescue the men, two were pulled onto the boat while the third man struggled to stay afloat. One of the rescuers jumped in the water to assist him and pulled him to safety. All three men showed signs of hypothermia. According to officials, the vessel sank with several hundred gallons of diesel fuel onboard.
This incident demonstrates the dangers faced by boaters off the coast of Washington State. Here at BoatLaw, LLP, we have represented shipboard personnel throughout the pacific northwest. The firm’s admiralty lawyers have a unique understanding of the dangers these mariners face.
