A 54-foot commercial fishing vessel lays disabled on a jetty near the Coos River entrance early Sunday, Sept. 22, 2019. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Station Coos Bay)
NORTH BEND, Ore. – A Coast Guard aircrew hoisted two people from the Coos River North Jetty Sunday morning after their commercial fishing vessel Fearless II suffered a rudder failure and ran into the rocks of the jetty.
An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew from Sector North Bend hoisted the two persons and transported them to awaiting emergency medical services at the air station.
At 12:52 a.m., watchstanders at Sector North Bend received a distress call over VHF-FM radio channel 16 from the fishing vessel Fearless II. The vessel reportedly became disabled after striking a submerged object and was in danger of drifting onto the jetty at the Coos River entrance.
Sector North Bend watchstanders directed the launch of both the aircrew and a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Coos Bay.
The boatcrew arrived on scene at 1:17 a.m., followed by the aircrew arriving at 1:30 a.m. The two persons aboard the vessel had reportedly jumped into the water and climbed onto the jetty.
One person reportedly sustained abrasions and a laceration, while the other was uninjured.
The Coast Guard reminds mariners to routinely inspect vessels and survival equipment for functional and structural integrity before getting underway.. Always have a reliable means of communication on hand for use in emergency situations.
Debris cleanup from the fishing vessel Fearless II is ongoing as salvage of the vessel isn’t possible at its current position.
