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Coast Guard rescues 3 adults off northern Washington coast
SEATTLE — The Coast Guard rescued three adults aboard a disabled sailing vessel 23 miles west of Cape Flattery, Thursday morning.
Two Coast Guard 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crews from Station Neah Bay and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter aircrew responded with one of the boat crews towing the disabled sailing vessel to Neah Bay. No injuries were reported.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a distress call at 3:15 a.m. from the operators of the 41-foot sailing vessel Legrega. The master of the vessel reported the loss of sails, storm jib, engine, and steering capability. The watchstanders issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast, which requests for any mariners in the vicinity to render assistance but no mariners responded to the broadcast. Watchstanders also used the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue System to locate commercial vessels in the area but calls to two vessels went unanswered.
The Dolphin aircrew arrived on scene at 4:48 a.m. and the two MLBs arrived on scene at 6:40 a.m. Two MLBs were launched to mitigate safety concerns regarding a small-craft advisory. One of the MLBs crews hooked up a tow and towed the sailors to safety arriving in Neah Bay at 10:09 a.m. A post-search and rescue boarding was conducted and issued notices of violation for having no vessel documentation and expired flares.
The sailors were attempting to sail from Olympia to Newport, Oregon.
Sea conditions were reported as five to seven feet but the sailors reported experiencing 10 foot seas offshore.
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