Coast Guard rescues three from Willapa Harbor island

Published 5:30 pm Tuesday, August 6, 2019

Coast Guard crews rescued three people from an island in Willapa Bay after their canoe capsized due to weather Monday evening, according to a Coast Guard statement.

One of the stranded individuals called 911 to alert authorities to the situation. Watchstanders at the Columbia River Coast Guard station were notified from Pacific County dispatch around 5:30 p.m. that three people needed assistance on Long Island in Willapa Bay after their 17-foot canoe capsized.

The command center diverted an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from the Coast Guard Air Station in Astoria that was already in the air for training. The crew arrived on scene at 6 p.m. and deployed the rescue swimmer to assess the condition of the three people. The aircrew hoisted the individuals from the island.

The three kayakers were transported to awaiting emergency medical service personnel at Ilwaco airport at 7 p.m. for further assessment. The current medical condition of the individuals is unknown.