Coast Guard rescues mariners aboard flooding vessel near Port Angeles, WA, May 29

Coast Guard crews rescued three people aboard a 68-foot pleasure craft that was taking on water near Port Angeles, Sunday night, May 27. A 45-foot Response Boat-Medium crew from Coast Guard Station Port Angeles and the crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Adelie dewatered the vessel and towed it to Port Angeles Boat Haven. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound received a distress notification around 8 p.m. that the pleasure craft Nu Explorer was taking on water. Watchstanders issued an urgent mariner information broadcast and the boat crew from Station Port Angeles launched in response. The boat crew arrived on scene to find the vessel had lost engines due to the flooding. They boarded with a dewater pump, but the pump was unable to keep up with the flooding. Due to safety concerns, they transferred all Coast Guard and Nu Explorer crew members onto the 45-foot RB-M while the crew of the Adelie was diverted from another response off Bainbridge Island to assist. When the crew of the Adelie arrived, they passed over a second portable dewatering pump, took over dewatering the vessel and put the vessel in tow.  The station crew safely transported the people from the Nu Explorer to the port, then returned to relieve the crew of the Adelie, resuming and completing the tow. Weather on scene was 4 to 6-foot high seas and 34-MPH winds.