A sad lesson:

Office of Public Affairs
U.S. Coast Guard Thirteenth District


Press Release Date: Dec. 30, 2005
Contact: PA2 Kurt Fredrickson
(206) 220-7237

SEARCH FOR MISSING MAN IN TILLAMOOK BAY, ORE., CONTINUES

SEATTLE - The Coast Guard is continuing the search for a shrimp
fisherman in Tillamook Bay, Ore., who tried to swim to shore with
another man when their boat drifted off Thursday night.



The second man was able to swim to shore near Bay City, Ore., and was
taken to a local hospital with severe hypothermia.



The Coast Guard launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat from Coast Guard
Station Tillamook Bay, Ore., and an HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air
Station Astoria, Ore., shortly after receiving a report that the two
men should have returned at 9 p.m.



The Coast Guard searched for the missing man until 1:30 a.m., when
winds of 50 mph and driving rain reduced visibility to zero.



A Jayhawk helicopter from Astoria was launched for a first light
search. A 47-foot motor lifeboat from Station Tillamook Bay is
searching the east channel and a 23-foot utility boat from the station
is searching the northeast cove. Two mobile land units also from
Station Tillamook Bay have conducted a shoreline search from Bay City
to Miami Cove near Garibaldi, Ore. The Tillamook County Sheriff's
Department and local boaters are also taking part in the search.



The search is focusing on the northern part of the bay. The men
reportedly left from the western shore earlier in the day. Their boat
was found this morning in the Seal Channel west of Bay City.



The two men were out of the boat on the mud flats wearing hip waders
when their boat drifted off. The two men were reportedly unable to
reach the boat and attempted to swim to shore. Neither of the men was
wearing a personal floatation device.



The Coast Guard emphasizes the importance and promotes the use of float
plans. A float plan is a written statement of the details of an
intended voyage usually filed with a friend, neighbor and/or marina
operator or; a document that specifically describes the vessel,
equipment, crew, and itinerary of a planned voyage. In this case, the
Coast Guard was notified when the men did not return on time.



If a vessel has an emergency or is overdue, pertinent information will
be available to provide local marine police or the Coast Guard. An
example of a float plan is provided at the following link.
http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/fedreqs/saf_float.htm



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The U.S. Coast Guard is a military, maritime, multi-mission service
within the
Department of Homeland Security dedicated to protecting the safety and
security of America.