With winds of only 9 mph, those 8 foot seas were probably just easy
rollers. Still, close enough to shore they can begin to break and
rather obviously a 17-foot boat wasn't sufficient for the task.




Press Release Date: May 9, 2006
Contact: Lt. j.g. Justin Denton
Coast Guard Sector North Bend, Ore.
541-756-9214

THREE DEAD AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES NEAR COOS BAY, ORE.
SEATTLE - Three people are dead after a 17-foot boat they were on
capsized south of Coos Bay, Ore., this morning.
About 7:30 a.m., the Coast Guard received a call from a man on shore
who found the boat on the beach near the south jetty.

Coast Guard Station Coos Bay dispatched a mobile land unit and a
47-foot motor lifeboat and Coast Guard Sector North Bend, Ore.,
launched an HH-65 Dolphin helicopter.

About 8:30 a.m., the mobile land until located a man and woman in the
ocean near the beach. The helicopter located a second man off shore
and deployed a rescue swimmer who hoisted him into the helicopter at
about 8:55 a.m. None were wearing lifejackets.

All three were transported to awaiting emergency medical technicians on
the beach where they were pronounced dead. The Coast Guard has
verified they were the only people aboard the boat and has called off
the search.

Names of the individuals are being withheld. There are no photos or
video available.

Weather conditions this morning were seas of 8-to-10 feet, winds of 9
mph and a water temperature of 52 degrees.

The Coast Guard reminds boaters that lifejackets greatly increase the
chance of survival during a maritime accident. Sixty-four percent of
the people who died in 2005 in Northwest boating accidents were not
wearing lifejackets. Eight out of nine people in Washington State that
died in 2005 boating accidents drowned without having a lifejacket.

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