Video - USCG Rescues Grounded Sailboat
We’ve almost hit the one-year anniversary of this video, when the USCG District 13 rescued this sailing vessel off of Lopez Island on May 27, 2007. It serves as a quick reminder of what can happen on the water.
May 27, 2007 — The Coast Guard assisted four people on a sailing vessel that ran aground at the south end of Lopez Island, Washington today.
Coast Guard Group Port Angeles received a call from the 36-foot sailing vessel, the Shekinech, that they had ran aground and needed assistance.
A Coast Guard HH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles and a Coast Guard 33-foot small response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Bellingham also launched to the scene.
Upon arrival the 33-foot small response boat pulled the Shekinech off of the rocks while the helicopter hovered in case of further complications.
A commercial assitance vessel arrived at the scene and established a tow enroute Oak Harbor on Whidbey Island, Wash.
Notice the seaweed-fouled anchor in the video, and the fact that not one of the sails are up. It is unclear whether the anchor slipped or that it was used to try and prevent the boat from hitting the island. The commercial assistance vessel referenced in the story belongs to Captain Richard Rodriguez, who is a rescue tug captain for Vessel Assist in the San Juans. You can keep up with his activities at Vessel Assist at his blog BitterEnd, and through his Twitter feed.
