Coast Guard rescues fisherman before vessel sank off Harbor, June 7

USCG release – Coast Guard boat crews rescued a fisherman from his vessel before it sank about two and a half miles west of the Chetco River entrance, Wednesday, June 6.  One of the two boat crews from Coast Guard Station Chetco River removed the fisherman from the vessel and safely transported him back to shore after dewatering attempts failed. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector North Bend and at the station were first notified around 10 a.m. when the fisherman requested assistance over VHF channel 16. He reported his 29-foot commercial fishing vessel, the Roni J, was flooding and the onboard dewatering pumps were unable to keep up with the rising water. Two station boat crews launched in response, one crew aboard a 29-foot Response Boat-Small II and the other aboard a 47-foot Motor Life Boat. Once on scene, a station member boarded the fishing vessel along with a portable dewatering pump. They were able to start the pump, but at one point the water shifted, forcing them to relocate, and they were unable to find a new spot before the water had risen too high. The fisherman reported that the water may have been coming in through the vessel’s shaft seal. No report of injuries. A light fuel sheen and some debris was reported in the water. The boat crews worked to remove as much of the debris as possible. The vessel sank in water with a depth of approximately 216 feet and with a max potential of 60 gallons of fuel aboard.