U.S. Coast Guard Photo
Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received notification at approximately 7:15 a.m. that the vessel was hit by two waves that swamped and overturned it. Four adults and one child were in the water when a Coast Guard MH65 helicopter crew from Air Station Port Angeles and 45-foot response boat crew from Station Seattle were deployed. A Tulalip Fire Dept. rescue boat, Everette Police Dept. boat and Wash. Dept. of Fish and Game boat also responded to assist.
Four adults were recovered by Good Samaritans who began treatment for hypothermia. One adult was transported to Tulalip Marina where local emergency medical teams pronounced him dead.
A Coast Guard rescue swimmer was deployed when the Port Angeles helicopter crew arrived on scene. The rescue swimmer reached under the overturned vessel and recovered the child from beneath. He then transferred the child to the Coast Guard rescue boat crew, who began performing CPR until he was hoisted to the helicopter and transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Reports indicate that the crew of the recreational vessel were not wearing lifejackets. The weather conditions on scene were calm, the air temperature was 48-degrees Fahrenheit and the water temperature was 46-degrees Fahrenheit.
The Coast Guard urges recreational boaters to maintain situational awareness, carry appropriate emergency and safety equipment and always wear lifejackets.
