NEWPORT — The Coast Guard rescued two men, a woman and a dog found adrift in a life raft after their vessel sank Sunday afternoon approximately 45 miles off Lincoln City.
The Coast Guard station in North Bend received a distress signal at 2 p.m. Sunday from an electronic position indicating radio beacon registered to the 44-foot commercial fishing vessel “Royal.” It dispatched a helicopter rescue crew from Newport. Two hours later the aircrew located a debris field and life raft approximately six miles from the beacon’s last transmitted location.
A rescue swimmer was deployed by free-fall and began recovering the survivors, the Coast Guard said in a news release Monday. The rescue swimmer assisted the individuals and dog with their hoist into the helicopter. The last survivor was hoisted at 4:30 p.m.
The three people and dog were transported to awaiting friends and family at Newport. They were in stable condition upon arrival and did not require medical attention, the Coast Guard said.
“They acted quickly and had the necessary equipment to survive an emergency like this,” said Lt. Robert Pfaff, pilot and flight commander during the rescue. “Their preparation and readiness for a worst case scenario saved their lives.”