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Drift boat recovered after flipping on Humptulips River

Published 3:30 pm Monday, December 19, 2016

By The Daily World

Grays Harbor Guide Association members recovered a drift boat a day after it overturned with two anglers aboard Dec. 11. The boat was recovered two miles downriver of the accident, missing only one oar. The two anglers were unhurt and able to reach shore on their own. (Grays Harbor Guide Association photo)
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Grays Harbor Guide Association members recovered a drift boat a day after it overturned with two anglers aboard Dec. 11. The boat was recovered two miles downriver of the accident, missing only one oar. The two anglers were unhurt and able to reach shore on their own. (Grays Harbor Guide Association photo)

Grays Harbor Guide Association members recovered a drift boat a day after it overturned with two anglers aboard Dec. 11. The boat was recovered two miles downriver of the accident, missing only one oar. The two anglers were unhurt and able to reach shore on their own. (Grays Harbor Guide Association photo)
Grays Harbor Guide Association members recovered a drift boat a day after it overturned with two anglers aboard Dec. 11. The boat was recovered two miles downriver of the accident, missing only one oar. The two anglers were unhurt and able to reach shore on their own. (Grays Harbor Guide Association photo)

A drift boat carrying two anglers down the Humptulips River just below the Humptulips hatchery flipped over Dec. 12 and, while both fishermen were able to safely reach shore and were uninjured, they could do little but watch helplessly as their boat and gear disappeared downriver.

The next day, members of the Grays Harbor Guide Association rallied to find and recover both boat and gear. Members Jim Babcock, Joe Superfisky, Patrick Gaffney and Ray Vermillion hit the river and were able to locate the drift boat about two miles below the accident scene.

The boat was upside down in about four feet of water. The men worked together and within an hour were able to get the boat righted and bailed out. According to Babcock, “The boat was unharmed” and the only casualty was a single oar that could not be found.

The Grays Harbor Guide Association, said Babcock, “is a new organization consisting of local and out of town fishing guides with the goal of conservation, unity, and improving sport fishing in the Grays Harbor area.” It was formed just two months ago and has about 34 members, “all guides that fish the Harbor rivers.”

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