CRESCENT CITY, Calif. – U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Humboldt Bay received a report from a Good Samaritan via 911 Emergency Dispatch that two people were in the water at Battery Point Lighthouse in Crescent City at 2:14 p.m. today.
The Coast Guard had an HH-65C helicopter airborne on a routine training mission when the call was received, and the aircraft was immediately diverted to Crescent City. The aircraft arrived on scene at 2:50 p.m. and the crew contacted Del Norte County Sherriff personnel who had located the two people.
A rescue swimmer was lowered from the helicopter to recover the first person and, once the rescue swimmer and person had been recovered, the aircraft proceeded to Crescent City Airport and transferred the person to a waiting ambulance.
The helicopter returned to Battery Point and remained on scene for 15 minutes while the Sherriff’s personnel attempted to recover the second person from the shore before returning to Arcata Airport in McKinleyville, Calif.
The Coast Guard reminds people to exercise extreme caution when near the beaches and shoreline, especially in those areas where rocky conditions exist. If at all possible, people should avoid these areas as they can be extremely hazardous.
