NORTH BEND, Ore. — The Coast Guard rescued a fisherman late Friday night, March 1, after his vessel started taking on water 3 miles north of the Umpqua River entrance. A Coast Guard boat crew aboard a 47-foot Motor Life Boat, from Station Umpqua River, located the fisherman, sent over a dewatering pump and towed the 65-foot fishing vessel Frank F into port. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend received the original call for help at 9:46 p.m. via VHF-FM radio channel 16. The fisherman reported his boat to be disabled and taking on water with only one bilge pump working. He reported to be able to see the Umpqua River entrance buoy but didn’t have a GPS location device aboard the vessel. The 47-foot MLB boat crew immediately launched and began their search for the fisherman. Upon searching the area around the entrance buoy no vessel was found. After the boat crew reported this, the watchstanders at Sector North Bend requested the fisherman launch flares to mark his location. The rescue crew saw the flares and located the disabled fishing vessel 3 miles north of the Umpqua River entrance. The boat crew arrived on scene at 10:46 p.m., and started to tow the Frank F after the incoming water was contained. The tow was completed at 4 a.m., and a safety boarding was conducted with several discrepancies noted including inoperable lifejackets, expired flares, no registration, no sound device and only one fire extinguisher. The Coast Guard terminated the voyage and instructed that the vessel can’t move until discrepancies are fixed. The fisherman didn’t need medical attention.
