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Lincoln County’s Leading Newspaper Newport, Oregon

Friday, November 21, 2014

Number 93 • 75¢ • 132 years

Our Helo “We love the Coast Guard, but there’s no doubt that if they close it they will never hear the end of it until it’s reopened. This is not about property, it’s about life and death.” Ginny Goblirsch, Newport Fishermen’s Wives Show your support. Display the cover of this section front in the window of your home or business.

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News-Times • Newport, OR

Friday, November 21, 2014

JENNIFER STEVENSON, PRESIDENT

Co n te n t s

Newport Fishermen’s Wives

On Oct 2, 2014, Newport Fishermen’s Wives received a letter announcing the sudden closure of the Newport Coast Guard helicopter station. This closure coincides with the start of the Dungeness crab fishery. This is the only asset available to fishermen and the public who need to be quickly rescued from our treacherous cold waters before death ensues.

New policies need to be enacted to ensure the Coast Guard has their assets placed where most needed. We must stop the closure.

KEVIN GREENWOOD, PORT MANAGER Port of Newport

The Newport air station provides muchneeded support to a huge variety of marine and near-shore users here in Lincoln County. Yaquina Bay is the busiest coastal estuary in Oregon when you consider the number of commercial fishing boats, recreational boaters, research and educational vessels.

The traffic will only increase with the addition of the Toledo boatyard, log and cruise ships in the near future. The Port hopes that the Coast Guard will reconsider their decision.

(Photo courtesy of Depoe Bay Rural Fire Protection District)

An Editor’s Note page 3

A Disingenuous Defense

A Briefing

LORNA DAVIS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce

Our primary local economic drivers are first commercial fishing and second tourism. We are a deepwater port and home of well over 200 commercial vessels, and while our city’s population is about 10,000, our visitor count is over 2.5 million people each year. They partake in all aspects of water and beach related activities fishing, surfing, climbing, and diving to name a few.

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It would be tragic if the decision to cease and relocate the service comes to be.

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A series of mishaps at sea and along the central Oregon coast occurred during the summer and fall of 1981, including the drowning death of F/V Odyssey skipper Gary Cutting and the heroic rescue of two brothers after the boat capsized on June 8. Earlier in the year, community members urged the U.S. Coast Guard to establish a base in Newport because of an increase in boat traffic at Yaquina Bay.

After waiting several years for the Coast Guard to act, the Newport Fishermen’s Wives mounted a community effort in early 1986 to bring a search and rescue helicopter to Newport in order to provide quick and effective assistance to the many waterrelated accidents that occur in the central Oregon coast.

Since the Coast Guard built the Newport Air Facility and began 24-hour patrols along the central coast, the coast community has relied on the swift aircraft to save lives – whether it’s a stranded fisherman, surfer, rock climber or a tourist who wandered too far into the surf and was swept away.

Is there a future? Yes, say the people who were involved in placing an air facility in Newport in the 1980s and are now working with the Oregon Congressional Delegation to keep it here. They argue that since the facility was authorized via a bill approved by Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, the Coast Guard doesn’t have the authority to close the it.

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The Greater Newport Chamber of Commerce urges you to reverse this decision. SPENCER NEBEL, CITY MANAGER

City of Newport

The City of Newport has enjoyed a century long relationship with the United States Coast Guard which has been memorialized through designating Newport as a “Coast Guard City – USA”. The announced closure of the USCG Air Facility in Newport without any consultation with the community and the region was truly a shock and disappointment. Life safety on the Oregon Coast will be jeopardized if the USCG does not reverse their decision on the closure of the Newport Air Facility.

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News-Times • Newport, OR

e t o N s ’ r o t i d E n A

The U.S. Coast Guard has played an important role on the central Oregon coast for many years, and having a rescue helicopter based at the Newport Airport has been a significant part of it. The News-Times has been there to document the various Coast Guard activities, including stories about helicopter operations. Managing editor Steve Card is shown here following a “ride-along” on the helicopter in March 1998.

PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE ON THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST STEVE CARD Managing Editor

he central Oregon coast has close ties with the United States Coast Guard, and we who live here are well aware of the important role they play in serving and protecting the residents of Lincoln County. In fact, this community support is what earned Newport the designation of “Coast Guard City U.S.A.” – this Coast Guard program, established in 1998, formally recognizes those cities that have shown continued support. The Coast Guard has been intertwined with the lives of coastal residents for years, and so it’s no surprise they have developed this close relationship. There is also a clear understanding among local folks of the lives that have been saved through the efforts of personnel at Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay, at Coast Guard Station Depoe Bay and at the Coast Guard Air Facility located at the Newport Airport. In fact, it’s hard to imagine life around here without them, and that

(Publication number 0888-2110) Published twice weekly, 104 issues per year Periodicals postage paid at Newport, OR 97365 Postmaster: Send address changes to News-Times mailing address, P.O. Box 965, Newport, OR 97365

We realize that looking back at some of the tragedies resulting in the loss of life will, for some, dredge up bad memories, Advertising John Anderson

Press Foreman Lee Breedlove

Managing Editor Steve Card

Teresa Barnes

Press Don Ketola

Deputy Editor Wyatt Haupt Jr

Jennifer Curran

Reporters Jay Omar

Kathy Wyatt

Dani Palmer

ADVERTISING OWNERSHIP All advertising copy and illustrations prepared by the News-Times become the property of News Media Corporation and may not be reproduced for any other use without explicit prior approval.

And that is the purpose of this special section of the NewsTimes. We looked back through our archives to find stories and photographs documenting that impact the Coast Guard presence has had on residents of Lincoln County, and in particular, the impact the Coast Guard helicopter has had on preserving lives along the coast.

Publisher James Rand

Rick Beasley

OFFICE ADDRESS - HOURS 831 NE Avery, Newport, OR 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday - Friday

is perhaps why it came as such a shock to so many when the Coast Guard announced its plan to close the air facility in Newport. Granted, this decision doesn’t affect the motor lifeboat operations at Station Yaquina Bay or Station Depoe Bay, but there is no disputing that having a Coast Guard helicopter at the ready for rapid response to emergencies has saved many lives.

Abbie Tumbleson Writer Dennis Anstine Graphics Travis Leonard Advertising Manager Barbara Moore

Krisstina Borton Deborah LaCroix Office Manager Sara Wedel Circulation Nicole Orr Production Manager Jody Craig Production Doug MacWilliams Marshall Pickett

Inserting Manager Eden Crowe Inserters Joann Bales

and for those closely connected to the incidents documented in these pages, we apologize. But we felt it was necessary to point out what a difference the rescue helicopter has made along our coastline, and to do that, we needed to talk about tragic accidents both before and after the Coast Guard helicopter became a daily presence here.

As you peruse these pages, it becomes obvious that having the helicopter located in Newport has made a significant difference in terms of lives saved. It is also obvious that there is a great deal of support among businesses and residents for keeping the helicopter here. Sure, there is a cost involved in that, but when it comes down to saving money or saving lives, it really isn’t a difficult choice. The Coast Guard needs to reverse its decision, and keep the rescue helicopter in Newport.

Cover Photo RICK BEASLEY

In March, 2014, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter from Newport was dispatched for the grim duty of body recovery after vehicle flew off the road at Cape Foulweather, killing the driver. In most

James Bryan

cases, the swift arrival of a helicopter saves lives, and this inci-

Miguel Garcia

dent proved no different.

Dillon McGantly Heather McGibbon Katherine Sielinski Charles Woods Drivers Mitchell Butler Steven Sutton

With the victim’s car lodged in a deep, wavepounded

fissure,

fire-

fighters and police faced the heartbreaking decision to send their own first responders on a per-

CONTRIBUTORS

ONLINE VERSION

A special thanks to the Depoe Bay Rural Fire Protection District and Bill Shires for your photos. All other photos without credit are NewsTimes file photos.

Due to space limitations in this section, not all stories pulled from our archives made it into the print edition. However, we have posted them online. At the top of the following pages, you will see headlines and dates for those additional stories, and they can be read in their entirety at www.newportnewstimes.com and on Facebook at Newport News-Times Newspaper. Also on our website is an interactive map that shows the location of accidents at sea, and links them with the newspaper articles written at the time each one occurred. Finally, an account written by Bill Shires concerning the rescue of two men from F/V Odyssey on Jan. 7, 1981 is online at newportnewstimes.com and on Facebook at Newport News-Times Newspaper.

WE SUPPORT SAVING OUR OREGON COAST GUARD HELICOPTER

ilous recovery effort until the arrival of the helicopter. “The helo was able to get in and lift her out without further danger to our own personnel,” recalled Depoe Bay Fire Chief Joshua Williams.

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News-Times • Newport, OR

A Briefing “It seemed like forever before I heard the chopper coming. They told me it was 30 to 35 minutes when they saw me and that I couldn’t have picked a better time to go in the water because they were all together having breakfast on a Sunday morning.” Stranded boater Shorty Apperson, who was saved by a Newport helicopter on May 25, 2014.

Friday, November 21, 2014

16,579 $11,937 Number of people, as of Nov. 18, 2014, who have signed a petition against the closure of the USCG Air Facility in Newport.

The total per-hour cost for operating a U. S. Coast Guard helicopter, which includes crew, maintenance and fuel expenses.

“It’s not uncommon for surfers new to the area (Otter Rock) to get caught in that rip and end up on the rocky outcrops. Their choices are to go back in the water or be hoisted via helicopter. We’ve hoisted several in the last year off that little area.” Lt. Dennis Knudson of the Depoe Bay Fire District, who was involved in the March 31, 2010 rescue of four surfers. “A voice assumed to be the skipper gave the vessel’s name and position, and said ‘Vessel taking on water and starting to list. Three persons on board. I am going back down to the engine room to stop water.’ That was the last we heard from him.” Warrant Officer Whit Patrick of the Yaquina Bay Coast Guard Lifeboat Station regarding the sinking of F/V Lasseigne on Nov. 15, 1985.

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News-Times • Newport, OR

“It’s different now because we have enjoyed the luxury of having the helicopter here for many years. It will be difficult to lose something that everyone has learned to depend on, something that is important to all of us and something we fought hard to get. Now we’ll have to fight even harder to keep it.”

Bob Jacobson, retired OSU marine extension agent

A Disingenuous Defense BY DENNIS ANSTINE For the News-Times

Since the U.S. Coast Guard’s surprise announcement on Oct. 2 that it will close the Newport Air Facility on Dec. 1, recently delayed for two weeks, the Newport community has quickly made it clear that it will marshal the forces needed to reverse the proposed action. Just as it successfully campaigned during the early 1980s to have a helicopter stationed here and a new facility built at the Newport Municipal Airport in 1994 in order to provide 24-hour patrols, the community is determined to retain the lifesaving presence that has become so vital to the well-being of the Oregon coast. The following stories represent an effort to relive some of the many stories the News-Times has published since 1981 that detail the strong relationship between the community and the Coast Guard. Above all, they illustrate the intense love-hate relationship that residents and visitors alike have for the Pacific Ocean, and the many years of sacrifice by the Coast Guard’s men and women, whose daily rescue mission involves keeping us as safe as is humanly possible. The relationship between the Coast Guard and the community was palpable last month during a town hall meeting concerning the closure. Over 250 community members, and more than a dozen Coast Guard representatives attended the event. While members of the audience took turns denouncing the decision, often emotionally, it was clear that the Coast Guardsmen were truly pained by the decision. You could see it in their eyes: their mission is to save lives, not to arrive too late to do their jobs. The irony of the proposed closure is that the Coast

Guard’s presence has improved the lives of a community whose dependence on the ocean has grown exponentially because of the Coast Guard’s livesaving presence, and not just economically. The ocean is the lifeblood of this community, whether it’s the bounty it provides or the beauty that stirs our souls. Yes, it’s dangerous, but access to the world’s largest body of water always comes with a huge risk. The human trait of thinking we’re invincible happens often here, whether it’s recreational fishermen foolishly going out alone to pick up crab pots or a tourist wandering out into the surf without realizing the strength of a riptide. The fishing industry has improved its chances of survival by building large, powerful steel-hulled vessels that may not turn upside down during a violent storm that no one saw coming. But human nature still finds the need to dip a toe in water where danger constantly lurks. Meanwhile, our commercial, charter and sports fishing fleets continue to grow, and more than 2.5 million visitors flock to Newport annually. Plus, activity at the Port of Newport is also burgeoning with the presence of NOAA’s MOC-P facility, and with timber exports scheduled to begin next year. One would think that the Coast Guard, our angel, our backup, would want to actually increase its presence rather than remove it because of so-called budget cuts. That’s a disingenuous defense, at best; one that also heralds its improved helicopter speeds and technology advances as being able to make up for the closure. The fact is, the Coast Guard’s lifesaving mission will suffer be-

cause the coverage will lessen. The community, however, is not alone in this fight. The closure will allow the Coast Guard to place three helicopters at each of its other Oregon air stations at North Bend and Astoria. Coastal counties and state advocates acknowledge that without a backup in Newport, air rescue operations at those stations will be impacted, too. In other words: less safe. And Oregon’s congressional delegation, which was instrumental in getting the livesaving station here in the first place, intimate they have a fighting chance to save the facility because it only involves $6 million – split between Newport and Charleston, S.C., where an air station is also on the chopping block. “We’ve sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security, which trumps the Coast Guard now, and the Senate is looking at budget possibilities over there,” said U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader this week. “We think some other budgetary items can go and we’ve made the secretary aware of this,” he added. “We’ve also lined up the South Carolina delegation in support.” Nevertheless, he admits things will get a little hectic during the second week of December. “We need to approve a new bill to fund the government on Dec. 11 so we’ll have a few days leeway to reach our target, which is to establish a permanent resolution for those air stations,” Schrader said. “Hopefully, they will see the error of their ways and understand that we set policy, not that darn agency.” Meanwhile, he said, keep sending those petitions and letters eastward.

A C O M M U N I T Y- O W N E D E L E C T R I C U T I L I T Y Serving Portions of Coos, Douglas, Lane, and Lincoln Counties on Oregon’s Central Coast

An excerpt from our letter to USCG Commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft, 10/16/14 “We are proud to power the USCG’s Station Siuslaw River in Florence, Station Yaquina Bay in Newport, and Station Depoe Bay. These U.S. Coast Guard installations are a highly-valued, integral part of the communities we serve. If the decision stands to remove the USCG helicopter from Newport, people will die. This is a cold, horrible, stark reality. We urge you to rescind the recent decision, and keep your helicopter stationed in Newport.”

Central Lincoln PUD’s Board of Directors Curt Abbott Mapleton, Seal Rock, Swisshome, Waldport, Yachats Ron Benfield Newport Larkin Kaliher Depoe Bay, Lincoln Beach, Otter Rock, Siletz, Toledo

Judy Matheny Dunes City, Florence Tom Tymchuk Lakeside, Hauser, North Bend, Reedsport

News-Times • Newport, OR

Friday, November 21, 2014

O u r H i s to r y “Time waits for no one. The sea takes the rich and the poor, the smart and dumb. She doesn’t discriminate … she’s a merciless taskmaster.” Diver Bill Shires, following the rescue of two crewmen from F/V Odyssey

series of mishaps at sea and along the central Oregon coast occurred during the summer and fall of 1981, including the drowning death of F/V Odyssey skipper Gary Cutting and the heroic rescue of two brothers after the boat capsized on June 7. Earlier in the year, community members urged the U.S. Coast Guard to establish a base in Newport because of an increase in boat traffic at Yaquina Bay.

SAVE OUR HELO

Friday, November 21, 2014

News-Times • Newport, OR

Council Members… Sandra Roumagoux Dean Sawyer David Allen Richard Beemer Laura Swanson Ralph Busby Mark Saelens

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News-Times • Newport, OR

TIMELINE: Jan. 14, 1981: One Man Missing As Raft Capsizes

Friday, November 21, 2014

June 24, 1981: The Wolf In Sheep’s Clothing - News-Times Editorial

Courtesy of Bill Shires, this illustration was created by artist Earl Norem for the May 2, 1982 edition of the Reader’s Digest. It depicts divers Shires and Pat Miller, owners of the All Coast Commercial Divers company in Coos Bay, leaping from a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter as they began a rescue effort after the F/V Odyssey capsized seven miles west of Waldport on June 7, 1981 during a “freak storm.” The divers saved the lives of Lincoln County brothers Terry Mason and Todd Mason, who were serving as crewmen aboard the vessel. Skipper Gary Cutting was presumed drowned. Two Coast Guard lifeboats and two helicopters were involved in the harrowing rescue, which included removing the Mason brothers uninjured from the ship’s engine room. JUNE 7, 1981

Daring rescue saves two from F/V Odyssey; captain drowns Two commercial divers were scheduled to finish a search for the capsized fishing vessel Odyssey, a search they began hoping to find missing skipper Gary Cutting. Cutting, 36, was last seen by crewmembers just after the vessel capsized off Alsea Bay. Commercial divers Bill Shires and Pat Miller of Coos Bay continued their search, according to a spokesman for the Yaquina Bay Coast Guard Station. An attempt to right the 48-foot trawler also was scheduled. “We don’t hold much hope for the skipper,” said Lt. j.g. Al Seidel from the North Bend Air Station. Seidel said Coast Guard ground crews and Lincoln County sheriff ’s deputies unsuccessfully searched the coastline north and south of Yaquina Bay Monday afternoon in an effort to locate Cutting. The divers rescued Cutting’s crewmen, Terry Mason, 35, of Seal Rock, and Todd Mason, 30, of Newport - from an air pocket in the Odyssey’s engine room at about 4 a.m. Monday. The Masons, who were uninjured, had spent about 13 hours awaiting rescue. Terry Mason said the Odyssey’s ill-fated weekend fishing trip took a turn for the worse when the “freak storm” hit the coast late Sunday afternoon. Gale-force winds were raking the area with 8-to 12-foot swells. Visibility was reported at one-quarter mile in driving rain. The vessel and crew were fishing off Alsea Bay when, Mason said: “It started blowing, so we picked up our drag gear. The swells were getting big so we buttoned her down and headed back to town. We were about five hours away when we took a freak wave that turned us sideways. Then we took two more waves and we rolled. We took two to four more breaks and we rolled upside down.” With all three men inside the watertight wheelhouse of the boat, Cutting tried to get a safety door open, Mason said. Water started rushing in when the door was opened.

Coos Bay divers Bill Shires (front) and Pat Miller reflect on four days they spent rescuing two crewmen and then salvaging the fishing vessel Odyssey, which capsized seven miles west of Alsea Bay during a “freak storm” that struck the area on June 7, 1981.

“Skipper and us were within two feet when we told him to come up,” Mason said. It was the last time they saw Cutting. The Masons made their way to the engine room, where they sat on a piece of plywood in an air pocket in the highest part. The room was black; Terry Mason said the only thing they

The Granada, a Newport-based shrimper, tows the capsized trawler Odyssey to Sunset Terminal after crossing the Yaquina Bay bar. The Odyssey flipped over in heavy seas about seven miles outside of Alsea Bay. Two crewmen Terry and Todd Mason, were rescued from an air pocket in the vessel’s engine room .

squeezed. He eventually made his way into the compartment, seeing the Mason brothers sitting on a piece of plywood. Shires recalls the Masons were exhausted, “not in a state of hysteria, but concerned. They were in control of their faculties.” He briefed the brothers on the gravity of the situation, tested them on his equipment and learned that neither had much swimming experience. He then returned to the Coast Guard vessel to get additional equipment, including a small “bail-out” air bottle, weight belts and masks were prepared. When Shires returned to the engine room, He gave the men a crash-course on scuba diving, told them to come feet-first, and to follow the lighted line out of the compartment. The resurfacing was uneventful, but the scuba divers’ day was far from over. Shires and his crew worked all day trying to keep the Odyssey afloat off Yaquina Bay and looked for Cutting inside the vessel until allowing the shrimp boat Granada to tow it to Sunset Terminals. With the Newport Fire Department providing light, Shires’ divers made an additional search in the Odyssey for Cutting. “I could not walk away from the boat and say he was not in it,” Shires said. The divers still couldn’t penetrate the top of the bunk area, but found one of two survival suits on board. It was determined there was a remote possibility Cutting could be in the compartment, “but he needed to be Houdini” to squeeze into the space, Shires said. Shires and his crew spent two days inspecting the Odyssey. A further search of the vessel was conducted, which resulted in the discovery of the second survival suit - still folded and in its compartment.

could see was the phosphorescent glow of the water as it slowly crept toward them. The Coast Guard learned of the accident at about 6:30 p.m. Sunday after a sailboat noticed the Odyssey’s overturned hull in an area located about seven miles west of Alsea Bay. Two helicopters from North Bend Air Station and motor lifeboats from the Siuslaw and Yaquina Bay stations were dispatched to the scene. A Coast Guard rescuer went to the overturned vessel’s hull and knocked, which was returned by the Masons. SCARED, BUT CALM

“The water had been creeping up on us, then it stopped,” Mason said. “It must have been after the Coast Guard floats were put on. Probably, that’s what saved us.” The Masons and Cutting did not have time to put on life jackets or survival suits or make a mayday call on the radio, Terry Mason said. He said that he and his brother were scared. “But we never did get frantic. We were just hoping to get out (alive). It’s pretty much a miracle we got out.” Shires, meanwhile, was beginning to wonder whether he would get the brothers out of the Odyssey alive. He had become nauseous and disoriented, having been badly tossed about underneath the ship by wave action. He had his mask torn off his face and regulator torn out of his mouth. He had become entangled in debris several times. “I was concerned I would lose my sense of direction. That’s the last thing I needed to do,” Shires recalls. “It was a terrifying experience.” Shires eventually found the hatch to the engine room, but could not budge it because of a pressure difference that had built up during the capsizing. The vessel then took a couple of large breaks and rolled severely. He cut his down line, retied it, and tried to get the hatch open a third time. “With a Herculean effort and by the grace of God,” Shires finally got the hatch open and shoved his hand in the opening, tearing muscles and ligaments in his back and smashing his hand in the process. Enough pressure bled out of the engine room that he was able to fully open the hatch. A hand came down through the water, which he shook and

A scuba diver slips into Yaquina Bay during the salvage work on the F/V Odyssey after it was hauled into Newport and then turned right-side up. Coos Bay divers Bill Shires and Pat Miller did most of the work, but additional divers were flown in from Portland to assist them.

Friday, November 21, 2014

News-Times • Newport, OR

Aug. 19, 1981: Safety First - News-Times Editorial

Sept. 14, 1981: Man Drowns While Fishing

A Tale of Two Teens The stories of Gloria Ann Richards and Tiffany Eliason, although published nearly 22 years apart, are nearly identical. The out-of-state teenage girls visited the Beverly Beach area of the Oregon coast. However, Tiffany returned home safely with her family, while Gloria would never return from her trip.

Utah girl drowns Teen saved near off Beverly Beach Beverly Beach June 13, 1981 The body of a Utah teenager, swept out to sea at Beverly Beach State Park Saturday afternoon, was recovered about 6 a.m. Sunday. Coast Guard personnel from the Depoe Bay Station recovered the body of 17-year-old Gloria Ann Richards in nearly the same area she was last seen on the beach, according to Depoe Bay Fire Chief Jay Williams. Richards and her parents, Mr. and Mrs., Aaron F. Richards of Farmington, Utah, were camping at the park located about five miles north of Newport at the time of the incident. According to the Depoe Bay Coast Guard, the family had taken a walk to the beach Saturday after setting up their recreational vehicle for the night. The girl and an unidentified person, possibly her brother, went to play in the surf before a riptide hit the beach. She

A Coast Guard lifeboat was unable to reach her due to shallow water.

July 14, 2003

Gloria Ann Richards, 17

of Farmington, Utah Drowned off of Beverly Beach, June 17, 1981.

was taken out to sea, while the other person reached the beach safely. Coast Guard personnel from the Depoe Bay and Yaquina Bay stations, aided by firemen from Newport and Depoe Bay departments, responded to the 4:50 p.m. Saturday call that two persons were in the surf, according to the Yaquina Bay Station spokesman Kim Brown. Both Coast Guard stations responded with beach p a r t i e s , equipped with surfboards and wetsuits, plus 44foot motor lifeboats. A helicopter from North Bend Air Station also was summoned to the scene. By the time the first Coast Guard search unit arrived at the beach, about 5 p.m., Richards had been swept to sea, Brown said. Brown said a heavy undertow existed during the receding tide late Saturday afternoon. Seas were four to six feet, with winds blowing at 20 knots with good visibility at the time of the search, he said. Williams said the girl was seen nearly a half hour after the search unit arrived. However, a lifeboat could not reach her before her body disappeared into the surf because of the shallow water.

Coast Guard crews rescued a 16-year-old Washington girl near Beverly Beach on Monday afternoon, after she and another youth were swept offshore by strong currents. The Coast Guard received a call at 2:08 p.m. from Lincoln County dispatch requesting assistance for two people in the surf between Otter Rock and Beverly Beach. The Coast Guard responded with rescue boats from Depoe Bay and Yaquina Bay in Newport. Tiffany Eliason, 16, of Bainbridge Island, Wash., was located in chestdeep water in surf just north of Beverly Beach, while her companion was able to return to the shore. The rescue boats were unable to reach Eliason in the surf because of the shallow water, which led to a Coast Guard helicopter being dispatched from Newport. It arrived minutes later and located Eliason. A rescue swimmer was deployed from the helicopter, and placed her in a recovery basket. According to the Coast Guard, Eliason was treated for mild hypothermia at Samaritan Pacific

Tiffany Eliason, 16

of Bainbridge, Island, Wash. Rescued off of Beverly Beach by Newport Coast Guard Helicopter crew July 16, 2003

Communities Hospital in Newport and released that afternoon. Approximately 20 Coast Guard crewmembers responded to the scene. Lt. Kenny Eller of Air Station North Bend said the girls were reported to have been playing in chest-deep water, and were in an beach area known to have dangerous riptides. “The waters here are dangerous and cold, even on warm days” Eller said. “And a nice, warm day doesn’t make the ocean any less dangerous, and any less cold.” In related incidents, two more beach rescue calls came in Tuesday – one in the late afternoon at approximately the same spot as Monday’s incident, with all involved getting to shore on their own.

Newport Coast Guard helicopter facility dedicated Jan. 21, 1994. Previously a temporary station was established in 1987.

A10

News-Times • Newport, OR

Jan. 29, 1986: Helicopter Needed - News-Times Editorial

Friday, November 21, 2014

June 25, 1986: Coast Guard Helicopters in Funding Bill

Boat capsizes, three drown off Siletz Bay. The fishing vessel Lasseigne, shown in Yaquina Bay in 1981, was swamped in heavy seas Friday morning. It sank about 29 miles off Siletz Bay. Two of three crewmen’s bodies were recovered. NOV. 15, 1985

F/V Lasseigne capsizes, three drown off Siletz Bay Three Lincoln County fishermen died on Friday in a boating accident 29 miles off Siletz Bay. The men have been identified as Randy Bacon, 32, of Toledo; Kenneth Lasseigne, 26, of Newport, and Yanns Guinsborg, 35, address unknown, who is still missing and presumed drowned. All were crewmen aboard the Lasseigne, a 64-foot steelhulled fishing vessel out of Newport. The boat, owned by Frank Lasseigne of Newport and operated by his son, Kenneth, capsized in heavy seas Friday morning. Coast Guard personnel were notified of the impending disaster by a MAYDAY call at about 7:30 a.m., according to Warrant Officer Whit Patrick of the Yaquina Bay Coast Guard Lifeboat Station. “A voice assumed to be the skipper gave the vessel’s name and position, and said ‘Vessel taking on water and starting to list. Three persons on board. I am going back down to the engine room to stop water.’ That was the last we heard from him.” Lifeboats were dispatched immediately from Depoe Bay and Newport. Helicopters from Astoria and North Bend also responded. Seas were very rough in the area with 10-to 15-foot swells. Bacon was found floating in the water, and a basket was

lowered from a helicopter to recover the body. Coast Guard Petty Officer David Patterson injured his back when the basket capsized and he was thrown into the water. Bacon and Patterson were picked up and airlifted to the North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City for treatment, arriving there about 9:15 a.m. Patterson’s injury was treated, and he was released from the hospital, Lasseigne’s body was found entangled in the vessel’s fishing gear about 10 a.m., and he was also airlifted to the Lincoln City hospital. However, the helicopter had to land at Siletz Airport in Gleneden Beach because the first helicopter was still on the hospital’s landing pad. A waiting Depoe Bay ambulance transported Lasseigne to the hospital, administering heated oxygen on the way. The two men showed no signs of life when they arrived and their body temperatures were about 84 degrees, according to Erline J. Oksenholt, emergency room physician on call. Treatment with heated oxygen and warm fluids was started immediately upon arrival, but the efforts were unsuccessful and the men were declared dead by drowning at about 11 a.m. Both Bacon and Lasseigne were clad in life jackets when their bodies were recovered. Survival suits were carried on

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board the vessel but they had not been used. The supposition is that the tragedy occurred too quickly. Survival time in coastal waters is about 30 minutes without a survival suit, according to Jeff Hyett of Search and Rescue Headquarters in Seattle. Rescue efforts continued for Guinsborg, believed trapped in the overturned hull. Civilian divers, Reedsport Police Chief Steve Evans, and Police Lt. Jack Backes were airlifted to the scene from North Bend to help in rescue efforts. Backes became ill and was later admitted to Pacific Communities Hospital, and treated for hypothermia and nausea. He remained overnight in the hospital. Six U.S. Navy scuba divers from Keysport, Wash., were flown by jet to Astoria, and then to the accident scene by helicopter. They tried, unsuccessfully, to get into the vessel. Repeated tapping on the hull brought no response. The search was called off in late afternoon. Two Coast Guard boats remained on the scene to warn other skippers about the floating hulk, until navigational lights could be attached to the hull. Recovery efforts were called off after the Lasseigne sank late Friday night.

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Friday, November 21, 2014

News-Times • Newport, OR

O u r A ct i o n “This facility is a tribute to the local leadership that got through the maze of bureaucracy. Their persistence, their determination … that’s why we’re here today.” U.S. Sen. Mark Hatfield during the Coast Guard helicopter facility dedication on July 20, 1994.

fter waiting several years for the Coast Guard to act, the Newport Fishermen’s Wives mounted a community effort in early 1986 to bring a search and rescue helicopter to Newport in order to provide quick and effective assistance to the many water-related accidents that occur in the central Oregon coast.

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News-Times • Newport, OR

Friday, November 21, 2014

TIMELINE: Sept. 21, 1988: Inquiry Due On Four Deaths In Sunken Boat

The Campaign Begins In Earnest

FEB. 18, 1981

JULY 3, 1986

Citizen’s committee makes Helicopter bill signed by Reagan formal request for helicopter

A letter formally requesting establishment of a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter base in Lincoln County has been sent to the headquarters of Coast Guard’s 13th District in Seattle. A citizen’s committee, chaired by Bob Jacobson, is seeking a facility at the Newport Municipal Airport be-

cause of its enhanced search and rescue capabilities. Sens. Mark Hatfield and Bob Packwood, and Rep. Les AuCoin have been kept abreast of the committee’s work, Jacobson said. The committee’s letter stated the helicopter base is needed due to the recent and expected rapid rise in boat

traffic in and out of Yaquina Bay. Response time from the nearest air bases, in North Bend and Astoria, is about an hour. The Coast Guard has previously indicated it would not establish a one-helicopter air base at Yaquina Bay, stating at least three helicopters are required.

MARCH 5, 1986

Coast Guard helicopter gets AuCoin support Oregon Congressman Les AuCoin recently went to bat for the proposal of basing a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter in Newport. “The Coast Guard has promised me some answers and their top brass has pledged to work with me on this important issue,” he said. AuCoin reiterated Newport’s request to Coast Guard Commandant James Gracey at a congressional hearing to review the Coast Guard’s 1987 budget. Newport residents have been trying for several years

to locate a search and rescue helicopter in Newport. Late last year, two boats sank off Newport, and five men were killed. “This tragic event only reinforces the need for a Coast Guard helicopter in Newport,” said AuCoin. “It is quite possible that if a helicopter had been based in Newport, those men might not have lost their lives. “The Coast Guard currently has search and rescue helicopters based at Astoria and North Bend on the Oregon coast. Newport is 105 miles

from Astoria and 80 miles from North Bend. “We’re talking about a huge amount – time that is spent flying from Astoria or North Bend – that should be spent saving people’s lives,” AuCoin said. AuCoin cautioned, however, that the battle to win a helicopter for Newport’s Coast Guard station will be difficult. “We’ve entered a new era of spending restraint,” he said. “Gramm-Rudman will force us to set priorities, in order to balance the federal budget. “

Late Wednesday, President Ronald Reagan signed legislation appropriating $15 million for start-up costs to base two helicopters at the Newport Municipal Airport. It was the payoff moment for the Newport Fishermen’s Wives Association. Congressman Les AuCoin issued a statement Thursday morning. “The rescue station is going to save lives and make it safer for fishermen to earn a living. This is a tremendous victory for the community and for the Newport Fishermen’s Wives, who have believed for so long that this dream could come true.” Response from the Fishermen’s Wives was ecstatic. They had been reluctant to celebrate last week when word came that passage of the legislation was imminent, for fear of some last minute obstacle. “It’s a miracle,” said Sidney Lasseigne, of the Fisherman’s Wives, whose energies over the past seven months had been dedicated to the project. She had spearheaded the efforts of the Wives since the November 1985 death of her son, Kenneth. He was in a

vessel accident off the central coast and died of hypothermia, due to the length of time he was in the cold water before his rescue. A helicopter base in Newport might have saved him. Lasseigne fought back tears. “Tomorrow would have

been Kenneth’s birthday,” she said Thursday. She thanked all in the community who had supported the project. “I’ll visit Kenneth’s grave with different feelings now, knowing that lives will now be saved.” Coast Guard spokesmen were unable to say what the next step might be. Com-

mander Whittier Patrick, of the Yaquina Bay Coast Guard Station, said Thursday morning that he had not even been officially informed of the signing of the legislation. He preferred not to comment. Chief Lou Parris, of the Coast Guard 13th District Office in Seattle, said he could give “an unqualified I don’t know. We’ve got to figure how to come up with $15 million from contracts that have already been let,” he said. No “new” funds will go to the air station, but items in the 1985-86 budget will be reprogrammed, according to the new law. For the Fishermen’s Wives, victory was sweet. “I’ve been saving two bottles of champagne in my refrigerator. Now we can open them,” said Ginny Goblirsch. Their project began in 1981 after the fishing vessel Odyssey went down off Newport, with one man lost and two saved in a harrowing rescue. Bob Jacobson, Oregon State University Sea Grant extension agent, initiated the push for a helicopter and the Fishermen’s Wives took over the effort.

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Distance from the Newport Air Facility: 17.4 miles Distance from the North Bend Air Station: 85.9 miles

Distance from the Newport Air Facility: 4.9 miles Distance from the North Bend Air Station: 80.1 miles 30 minutes immersion in cold water will bring on progressive hypothermia which can cause: confusion, (95°F), amnesia (93°F), cardiac arrhythmias (91°F), loss of consciousness (86°F), ventricular fibrillation (82°F), and death (77°F). (internal body temperature)

Dangerous Waters An overview of USCG helicopter water rescues from the Newport Air Facility from 1995-2014. 1. Boy rescued from Yaquina Head July 25, 2001 2. Coast Guard rescues two fishermen off Cape Perpetua Aug. 9, 1995 3. Coast Guard rescues surfer Aug. 1, 2008 4. Coast Guard rescues surfer near Depoe Bay Feb. 10, 2008 5. Coast Guard rescues surfers in Devils Punch Bowl March 25, 2010 6. Coast Guard rescues teen from surf near Beverly Beach July 16, 2003 7. Coast Guard saves fisherman 15 miles from Newport May 25,2014 8. Fisherman survives six hours in ocean March 3, 2004 9. Fishing vessel runs aground on north jetty of Yaquina Bay March 28, 2012 10. Man rescued in heavy surf near Yachats July 14, 2010 11. Surfer rescued at Otter Rock Jan. 22, 2011 12. Teen rescued from rocks at Yachats Aug. 15, 2001 13. Three men survive seven hours in ocean July 19, 2006 14. Three children saved off of 120-foot cliff July 05, 2010 15. Two surfers rescued off of Yaquina Head rocks Jan. 11, 2009 16. USCG helo plucks five from rock Oct. 11, 2014 17. Woman rescued from cliff at Yaquina Head Dec. 4, 2002

Distance from the Newport Air Facility: 40 miles Distance from the North Bend Air Station: 64.4 miles

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News-Times • Newport, OR

Friday, November 21, 2014

Aug. 9, 1995: Coast Guard Helicopter Rescues Two Fishermen Off Cape Perpetua

Sidney Lasseigne, one of the founders of the Fishermen’s Wives group in Newport, is pictured in front of the new Coast Guard Air Facility, which was dedicated in Newport Thursday morning. Lasseigne, who has been a longtime advocate of building this permanent facility, called the dedication a “bittersweet victory” because the helicopter and crew will continue to provide service only during the daylight hours. She said the area needs 24-hour emergency services. JAN. 20, 1994

Coast Guard helicopter facility dedicated A permanent U.S. Coast Guard Air Facility in Newport is now a reality, following a dedication ceremony Thursday morning. The building of the Newport Air Facility was a long time coming, with initial efforts to secure funding beginning in the mid-1980s. A temporary station was established in 1987, and in 1992 Congress approved funding for a permanent $2.3 million air station. Ground was broken in November 1992, and construction was completed about two months ago. The Newport Air Facility was designed to provide flight planning, cooking facilities, a hangar, and maintenance areas and berthing for a helicopter and crew.

As in the past, the helicopter will operate during daylight hours only. It

considered for the Newport Air Facility. Sidney Lasseigne of Newport helped found the Newport Fishermen’s Wives group several years ago and has been one of the leading local advocates for this permanent air station. She called Thursday’s dedication a bittersweet victory. “It’s beautiful, and it’s here, but we need coverage 24 hours a day,” said Sidney Lasseigne, who has advocated for a permanent facility. “You can’t count on a tragedy happening during the daylight hours.” Lasseigne said her end mission would be working toward seeing the facility funded and staffed 24 hours a day.

ut “It’s beautiful, and it’s here, b day,” we need coverage 24 hours a Sidney Lasseigne will be dispatched from its base at Air Station North Bend each morning, and it will return at the end of the day. However, a 24-hour emergency service is being

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Friday, November 21, 2014

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News-Times • Newport, OR

Mar. 28, 2001: Local Coast Guard To Get Award

July 26, 2001: Boy Rescued From Yaquina Head

OCT. 28, 2014

Coast Guard agrees to short delay Oregon Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden and Congressman Kurt Schrader spoke Tuesday with the commandant of the Coast Guard and got assurance from him that the Nov. 30 date previously set for the closure of the Newport Air Facility would be extended to Dec. 15. The Coast Guard agreed that this additional time would allow for a more extensive and thorough discussion of the risks to recreational fishing, commercial fishing

and other activities on the central Oregon coast. During Tuesday’s phone conference, the Oregon delegation members declared their intent to use every possible advocacy path to keep the helicopter in Newport, conveying to the Coast Guard that the safety of thousands is at stake. This came after Merkley, Schrader and Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici held a press conference earlier in the day with members of the

Newport Fishermen’s Wives, commercial fishermen and coastal first responders, calling on the U.S. Coast Guard to reverse the decision to close the Newport helicopter facility. The three lawmakers have joined with Wyden, Congressman Peter DeFazio and Congressman Earl Blumenauer since the Coast Guard made its closure announcement earlier this month to strongly urge the decision be reversed and to delay the clo-

sure to provide more time to seek a long-term solution. Rear Adm. Paul Zukunft wrote a letter dated Oct. 21 to Sen. Ron Wyden that explained the federal agency’s decision to close the facility because of “limited resources” and “overlapping asset coverage that exists in this area.” The admiral’s correspondence was in response to an Oct. 8 letter written by Wyden and the five other Democrats in Oregon’s congressional delegation that requested a

reversal of the Coast Guard’s decision. “I have absolute trust in Admiral Rick Gromlich and his operational commanders in Coast Guard District 13 to continue to evaluate the risks in the Pacific Northwest and make adjustments to ensure mariner safety is our absolute top priority,” said Zukunft’s letter. “I remain committed to addressing any additional concerns or questions you may have.”

OCT. 31, 2014

Opposition to closure gaining momentum Members of Oregon’s congressional delegation want the U.S. Coast Guard’s decision this week to postpone the projected closure of the Newport Air Facility until mid-December to be extended for at least six months. “The delegation is trying to buy time to work on a permanent solution,” said Hank Stern, Sen. Ron Wyden’s state communications director. “Wyden wants the helicopter to stay where it is, and this gives us more time to reach that goal.” Coast Guard commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft, who on Oct. 2 announced closure of the helicopter base at the end of November, decided earlier this week to delay the action for two weeks following a conference call with delegation members. In asking Zukunft for a sixmonth delay of the closure last week, Wyden, Sen. Jeff Merkley, Rep. Kurt Schrader and other members of the delegation cited potential safety risks to commercial

and recreational fishermen, steep terrain loggers, and tourists who frequent the central Oregon coast. The timing of the closure also has been a sore point for the community since the commercial Dungeness crab season is scheduled to begin Dec. 1. “The goal is to have a face-to-face meeting with the admiral and reshape the universe in regards to the helicopter when Congress reconvenes next month (Nov. 12),” Schrader said Wednesday. “I don’t know if we have to go as far as having a congressional hearing on it,” he added, “but I’m working with the senators to see what we need to do to end the closure.” Schrader said the delay would give the delegation time for additional research, “getting data and information together so we can show the admiral that he’s wrong.” That includes the potential safety problems a closure would have for recreational

fishermen and tourists, “who are often less knowledgeable than commercial fishermen about the risks,” Schrader said. He also questioned the admiral’s authority to actually close the Newport facility through a resolution. “The commandant is allowed to make changes in the mission,” Schrader said, “but we don’t agree that he alone can authorize closure of the facility.” Along with the Newport facility, the Coast Guard has decided to close its helicopter base at Charleston, S.C., citing funding issues and its ability to carry out search and rescue (SAR) missions with fewer assets because of advanced technology. The Coast Guard has said it would save a total of $6 million annually with the two closures. Ginny Goblirsch, a longtime advocate for the facility as a member of the Newport Fishermen’s Wives Association, said congressional hear-

Jennifer Stevenson, left, and Ginny Goblirsch, who are members of the Newport Fishermen’s Wives, recently spoke to the Lincoln County Board of Commissioners about the importance of keeping the Coast Guard helicopter in Newport.

ings may not be necessary but are a possibility if the Coast Guard doesn’t reverse its decision. She said working with the delegation is the best course of action, along with urging the community to flood the

commandant’s office with letters. “The Coast Guard is not going to change their minds without action by Congress and the community,” she said during a Port of Newport meeting earlier this week.

“We’ve been asked by the delegation to document firstperson examples of rescues made by the helicopter and then send the information to Wyden’s office,” she added. “We’re in the process of doing that.”

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News-Times â&#x20AC;˘ Newport, OR

Friday, November 21, 2014

November 6, 2014 nft Admiral Paul F. Zuku 0 -0 CG Commandant quarters US Coast Guard Head 7000 P O 2100 2nd ST SW ST 3-7000 Washington, DC 2059

Protecting Lives, Property and Resources

Seal Rock Rural Fire District Seal Rock Fire District: PO Box 220, Seal Rock, Oregon 97376 Bayshore Station: 2009 Hilton Drive, Waldport, Oregon 97394

Phone: 541.563.4441 Fax: 541.563.3175 For those who are interested in joining Seal Rock RFPD. We meet every Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. and will be happy to explain our program and offer applications. We are developing a number of benefits to being a volunteer. Please stop by and learn more about our program.

n, d in Seal Rock, Orego te ca lo t ric st Di Dear Admiral Zukunft, n tio ec ot ns over the al Rock Rural Fire Pr expressing my concer am I n. io I am Fire Chief for Se at st n go re O of your Newport, about 10 miles south wport. s and licopter located in Ne He ue sc Re e visitors to the beache th in of al se ea cr in remov d pi ra a ic g ity was experiencin over the ability of publ ns er nc co d te ra ne In 1988, our commun ge owth ratures r jurisdiction. That gr average water tempe ith W . rs te rocky shores within ou wa l ca lo e r very long. scue individuals in th rvive the cold water fo su to ed safety agencies to re ar ep pr un re to most visitors we in their dry suits. Due en ev e tim l iva in the low 50 degrees, rv su ly used by ve a limited amount of t reach areas common no d ul co Even our volunteers ha s el ss ve rd water. w water, Coast Gua n the sand and deep ee tw sand bars and shallo be n tio ua sit s the funds ou ted a danger e together and raised m ca ity un m our visitors, thus crea m co e th equipment, donating e risk to our visitors, th ue sc ize re im rf in su m r to he r ot de d or an In y suits personal watercraft, dr ships and rescue heliur yo th wi ly se necessary to acquire clo ed rk beach to t. Once trained, we wo ue, covering from the sc re r te wa it all to my departmen to ch oa pr ick pid, coordinated ap r emergencies. That qu te wa w lo al sh d copter to provide a ra an rf su nd on can quickly deploy on . Our volunteers depe ea ar at th in s deep water. Our team tim vic to tims out of obability of survival hoist them and their vic ll wi at response raises the pr th up ck ba ed them up; a valu the helicopter to back ice is broes terribly wrong. the water rescue serv in k lin ty fe danger if something go sa nt rta e po e helicopter, an im ount of risk to which th am e th k in th re to With the removal of th s ed t ne rict the te back-up, the Distric r, we will probably rest te op lic he e ken. Without adequa th of ss lo posubjected. With the re they succumb to hy fo be rn tu re y sil ea water rescue team is n ey ca scue e from shore where th obably will not get a re pr nt rre cu rip a team to a distance/tim by a se ermia than anyone pulled out to will perish from hypoth le op pe thermia. This means of r be m nu r ly means a greate attempt. This probab risks in e both take calculated W . es liv g they do today. vin sa of s in are in the busines rstand our reluctance de un u yo pe ho we Both our organizations , such ined, e rescue attempts. As ckup. Losing highly tra ba te ua eq ad t the performance of th ou th wi t beyond the breakers ll know. sending our teams ou n. We proposition, as you we ly st co a is l r from Newport Statio ne te on op rs lic he ue sc re qualified pe e th e the District. ider the order to remov ies and capabilities of ilit ab e th We ask you to recons in th wi n . ca ort you any way we and we will write them em th t ge ld ou sh o will be happy to supp ow wh fe. ll help, please let us kn to keep our citizens sa e sir de r ou If letters of support wi in re tu fu rking with you in the Sincerely, We look forward to wo Chief Tracy Shaw Protection District Seal Rock Rural Fire Oregon 97376 ck, PO Box 220, Seal Ro Oregon 97394 dport, 2009 Hilton Drive, Wal 541.563.4441 erty and Resources Protecting Lives, Prop

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Friday, November 21, 2014

News-Times • Newport, OR

Our Angel

“You look around, and there isn’t anything. There’s no boats, there’s no people, there’s no nothing. You’re there all by yourself ... I decided if I‘m going to die, I’m going to die swimming. I’m not doing anything by just floating here,” Fisherman Scott Morales, who survived six hours in the ocean before being rescued.

ince the Coast Guard built the Newport Air Facility and began 24-hour patrol along the central coast, the coast community has relied on the swift aircraft to save lives – whether it’s a stranded fisherman, surfer, rock climber or a tourist who wandered too far into the surf and was swept away.

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Friday, November 21, 2014

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Friday, November 21, 2014

TIMELINE:

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News-Times • Newport, OR

Aug. 15, 2001: Teen Rescued From Rocks At Yachats

Dec. 5, 2002: Woman Rescued From Cliff At Yaquina Head

FEB 23, 1998

Two drown after boat capsizes Synopsis: Two men drown after their 14-foot aluminum boat was capsized by a wave near the surf line located near the dangerous confluence of the Alsea channel and the Pacific Ocean just west of Waldport. The men, who were not wearing lifejackets, had gone out into the bar to take photographs. Witnesses saw the men in knee-deep water after the boat flipped over: one man disappeared, and the other, after an approximate 10-minute wait, appeared to go into the water to rescue his companion.

Analysis: The Coast Guard’s helicopter, which was doing a crew shift change at Air Station North Bend before returning to the Newport Air Facility, received some criticism for taking 33 minutes to arrive at the scene. One of the men was last seen 11 minutes before the helicopter arrived. From Newport, a helicopter would take between eight to 15 minutes to reach Alsea Bay, depending on conditions. The Coast Guard defended the flight time, saying the helicopter was taxiing at North Bend when it got the call.

“Why would you take a chance on an outgoing tide. You don’t boat out there at the jaws (Alsea Bay’s bar) on an outgoing tide. It was ripping.” Sgt. Bob Jozwiak, now retired from the Lincoln County Sheriff ’s Department

Mark Jung, right, of the Surf Interagency Rescue Squad, talks after their watercraft became disabled during a rescue operation near the mouth of Alsea Bay near Waldport on Monday afternoon. Two men were presumed drown.

MARCH 4, 1998

Coast Guard defends its helicopter response time

U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew members Dan Baravik, left, and Sam Mettill search the Pacific Ocean near Seal Rock for a missing man. Crew members, when on duty locally, are housed at the permanent Coast Guard Air Facility at the Newport Airport. Crew members work 24-hour shifts and fly back to North Bend daily, when a new, four-person crew boards and returns to Newport.

When a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter was dispatched at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 23, to help two persons in the water near Waldport, it took the helicopter traveling from North Bend at least 30 minutes to reach the scene. That was too late for one of two men in a 14-foot aluminum boat that had capsized. He was last seen about 1:52 p.m. Not wearing a life jacket, the man went under and was lost. The Coast Guard was criticized for its response, or what some viewed as a lack of response. A Coast Guard commander on the scene said he was awaiting the helicopter or a boat crew to help the survivor battling the water. The boat, from the Surf Interagency Rescue Squad

(SIRS), came on the scene about a minute after the man went under. The helicopter arrived at 2:03 p.m. Normally located at Newport, the helicopter was at the Coast Guard’s North Bend Air Station changing crews. Coast Guard officials have defended their response time to the emergency, explaining what it normally takes for a helicopter to get airborne and fly to a scene. They also defended the time of day that crew changes occur, mainly because of the weather. Once airborne, the usual flight time for a helicopter to reach Alsea Bay from Newport – a distance of about 14 miles – is eight to 15 minutes, depending on conditions, said Chief Warrant Officer Scott Clendenin of Coast

Guard Station Yaquina Bay. Newport does not have a permanent helicopter crew stationed at its airport. Instead, helicopter crews serve 24-hour shifts, flying out about 12:45 p.m. each day and returning to Newport about 1:45 p.m. after a crew change at North Bend. One the day of the Waldport capsizing, a new crew was taxiing on the North Bend runway when it was dispatched to Waldport, Clendenin said. It arrived about 2:03pm at Alsea Bay, he said. Lt. Cmdr. Russ Harris of the North Bend Air Station emphasized that his crews have, by law, 30 minutes to get airborne. He also emphasized that the victims did not wear life jackets.

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A20

News-Times â&#x20AC;˘ Newport, OR

Friday, November 21, 2014

Coast Guard City USA Newport Oregon

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We support and appreciate the men and women who serve to keep our shores and waterways safe for those who live, work and play here.

News-Times photo circa 1977

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Friday, November 21, 2014

A21

News-Times • Newport, OR

Sept. 1, 2008: Coast Guard Rescues Surfer

Aug. 24, 2009: Fisherman Rescued 57 Miles Offshore

Yachats men recall their water rescue. Paul Ferguson, left and John Anderson return to the spot above the mouth of Yachats River where they were rescued Tuesday. The two surfers were weakened by strong current and heavy surf before they were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew. Rescue attempts were hampered by lack of access to the area. MARCH 3, 1998

Yachats surfers recall their water rescue Two thankful and apologetic Yachats men recounted the tale of their rescue at the mouth of the Yachats River. Paul Ferguson, 30, and John Anderson, 35, were airlifted from the current and surf by a Coast Guard helicopter crew. The pair had gone surfing; Anderson was a novice and while Ferguson had surfed before, he said he was wearing a new wetsuit for his first time. By the end of their ordeal, which lasted an estimated 30 minutes, the men lost their boards and were caught in a riptide that held them where breakers crashed over them. “I thought I was dead,” said Ferguson, who went under several times. Exhausted, the men had managed to cling to a recovered board long enough to be rescued. “I was just praying an awful lot,” Anderson said Friday. “Thank the rescue crews,” said Ferguson, a bartender in Yachats. “Tell them the next drink’s on me.” Their dangerous adventure began about 2 p.m. on a high tide. They and Mike Lavery, an experienced swimmer and

Yachats Fire Department lieutenant, had planned to go out together at the popular surfing spot. But the two decided not to wait for Lavery, and launched from the south side of the river, near a pedestrian-access stair-

ditions “got big pretty fast” and he was quickly knocked off his board. He had an ankle cord attached, which should have kept the board nearby, but it floated away. Ferguson decided to retrieve it, leaving his board with An-

“It flipped over my head; it was like a life ring,” Anderson said. “It was a miracle from God. That was the key.” At one point, Ferguson disappeared. “I thought he had gone un-

That gave us hope. I knew I had friends on the shore. They were going to do what they could do to help us.” By that time, the two had been in the water an estimated 20 minutes or more, and

“They lowered that guy (Bolin) right down, and it was a bad spot. We endangered his life. I’m really thankful for that guy.” John Anderson way. “They should have waited, because there was going to be a riptide,” Lavery said “We were in trouble before we got in the water,” Anderson recalled. “We made some bad decisions. There was a really bad rip. We thought we were better than we were.” Anderson said the surf con-

derson, then getting caught in the current. “Paul got stuck in a rip and it started carrying him out like a freight train,” Anderson said. Ferguson became trapped in the surf, the outgoing current holding him. Anderson then lost his grip on Ferguson’s board, but it was quickly tossed back to him.

der,” Anderson said. “That was the most terrifying thing. It’s hard to see things when you’re in the water. I saw him and I kicked out to him.” Eventually, people on shore realized the pair were in trouble and summoned for help. “We saw the volunteer fire department show up,” Anderson said. “We could see the lights from the trucks flashing.

the helicopter arrived about 10 minutes later. The helicopter crew was in the air over Newport preparing for a training mission when summoned to Yachats. According to the Coast Guard, the call came at 2:21 p.m., and the crew was lowering rescue swimmer Tom Bolin at 2:38 p.m. Bolin first grabbed Fergu-

son, who had lost all ability to kick as Anderson held him afloat. But when Anderson pushed Ferguson toward the rescuer he lost the surfboard again. “The down draft (from the helicopter) is really intense,” Anderson said. “It’s like trying to breathe in a shower. I had to let go of the board (to push Ferguson away), and it just flew away. You can’t hear anything. You can’t see anything.” Anderson kept his head above the surface until Bolin returned after depositing Ferguson on shore. Both men were treated for hypothermia at a Newport hospital, and then released later in the day. “I’m really aware of the fact we endangered other lives,” Anderson said. “They lowered that guy (Bolin) right down, and it was a bad spot. We endangered his life. I’m really thankful for that guy.” Ferguson said he would never again surf the Yachats River opening. “I’ve been caught in rips in Scotland,” he said, “but nothing like this. People need to know how bad it is.”

FEB.29, 2004

Fisherman survives six hours in Pacific Ocean It had the makings of yet another tragedy at sea. A fishing boat had run aground Sunday afternoon just outside the south jetty of Yaquina Bay. The vessel’s lone occupant was missing, and a Coast Guard boat and helicopter could be seen searching the area. Around 4 p.m. came a report that a man had been found floating about four miles offshore, after having been in the water for several hours. Remarkably, fisherman Scott Morales beat the odds by surviving six hours in the 50-degree water before being plucked from the sea by a Coast Guard helicopter. The following day, Morales, 30, a commercial fisherman for about 10 years, was joking, laughing and sharing his story from his hospital bed at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport. At about 6 a.m. Sunday, he left Yaquina Bay aboard the 40-foot fishing vessel Cathan with the goal of picking up crab gear to wrap up the season. He had planned to go out with the boat’s owner Todd Rogers of Willamina, but Rogers couldn’t make it. “I work during the week, and I’ve only got my weekends free right now. I had to go,” he said. “A lot of people go fishing by themselves … all the time.” After picking up a short string of crab pots near Waldport, he headed home around 10 a.m. But the pots – about 30 of them – shifted and he went out to secure the deck, putting the boat on autopilot. “The boat rolled again,” Morales said, “and the pots shifted again, hit me in the chest. Me and the pots all went overboard,” Morales said. “I’m in the water, and the boat’s driving away.” The boat continued on its northern journey, with no one aboard. Morales would later learn that other fishermen had waved as the empty boat passed them, thinking that Morales was at the helm. Around 1:30 p.m., the Cathan ran aground just south of Yaquina Bay’s south jetty, and was spotted by a beach walker. The Coast Guard began searching for Morales along the surf-line where the boat had come ashore. Meanwhile, Morales was more than nine miles south and was doing all he could just to stay alive.

“You look around, and there isn’t anything.,” he said. “There’s no boats, there’s no people, there’s no nothing. You’re there all by yourself.” Morales began swimming for shore, which was about four miles away. He wasn’t wearing a lifejacket when knocked overboard, and his sweatshirt and sweatpants were weighing him down. He stripped to his T-shirt and underwear and started swimming.

the outside of me.” He signaled the boat but no one saw him, so he settled in for a long wait by huddling his arms and legs close to his chest in an effort to preserve body heat. In the hours that followed, a couple of rainsqualls came through with winds increasing. Seawater would wash over him, sending water up his nose and into his mouth. “During the squalls, it was real tough,” he said. “I kind of just laid back. I figured I was

A Coast Guard crew stands ready on the beach Sunday afternoon during the search for a missing fisherman from the fishing vessel Cathan. The boat ran aground just south of the south jetty of Yaquina.

He came upon a crab pot and grabbed the buoy, but it began sucking him under the water. So he removed the buoy from the rope attached to the submerged crab pot and tucked it under one arm. He then retrieved another buoy for his other arm and eventually a third buoy that he stuffed in his underwear. And then he waited. “I got the buoys, and I’m floating and waiting; then I see a boat,” Morales said. “It’s to

going to die anyway, so I just kind of started floating.” But when the squalls passed and the weather mellowed, Morales realized he wasn’t ready to give up the fight. “I decided if I‘m going to die, I’m going to die swimming. I’m not doing anything by just floating here,” he said. About the same time, a boat passed by between Morales and the shore.

“I’m waving and waving, and I see them turn toward me,” he said. “But then he just turns back the other way, back up the coast.” Much later, Morales saw the familiar orange Coast Guard helicopter flying along the beach to the north of him. A fairly common sight, he did not think much of it until he saw the helicopter turn and begin flying low along the surf line. “I knew somebody was looking for me then,” he said. But the search effort was taking place near to the grounded boat, not where Morales floated in the ocean with the help of three crab pot buoys. And by then, the cold water had robbed him of the ability to do much more than dog paddle. Morales said that a fellow fisherman made contact with the Coast Guard crew on the beach to tell them that they were looking in the wrong place. “He went up to them and said, ‘You guys are looking in the wrong spot … his gear’s in 20 fathoms. You need to go offshore and look for him. He’s not going to be in the surf line,’ “Morales said. The helicopter eventually got close enough to spot him in the water. By that time, he had been in the ocean for six hours and was near death. Still, he was conscious when the Coast Guard swimmer reached him and the helicopter flew him to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport. “The doctor said I probably only had another half hour, with my core temperature what it was,” Morales said from his hospital bed. Morales said his size, 6-foot-5 and more than 300 pounds, probably made a difference in his being able to survive those long hours in the ocean. He joked that he had wanted to lose weight, but that weight may be one of the reasons he survived. Morales did not think he would have any lasting effect from his ordeal. Asked whether he planned to continue fishing, he said he probably would. “But I’m not going by myself anymore,” he said. “I definitely feel lucky for being here, and even more lucky for all the people that have come to my support, family and friends who love me”

A22

News-Times • Newport, OR

Friday, November 21, 2014

Let’s Save The Helo! Our community thanks the US Coast Guard for its dedication to the safety of those who live, work, play, and stay on our beautiful, though often treacherous, Oregon Coast.

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Friday, November 21, 2014

A23

News-Times • Newport, OR

Aug. 25, 2009: Two Men Pulled From Surf

July 5, 2010: Three Boys Saved Off Of 120-Foot Cliff

JULY 19, 2006

Three men survive seven hours in ocean Three men aboard a 28-foot boat that sank 45 miles offshore from Depoe Bay survived seven hours in the ocean by clinging to a floating ice chest. At around 1:30 p.m., Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay received a “mayday” call over the marine radio from a person saying his boat had lost power and was taking on water. It was reported that three people were aboard and the boat was about 45 miles offshore, but no further information regarding the boat’s position could be given. “With no position, it really hampered our search,” said Chief Warrant Officer Richard Glasgow, commander of Station Yaquina Bay. Four Coast Guard helicopters, two from Astoria, one from Newport and one from North Bend, were launched to begin searching for the boat “and just about every Coast Guard boat on the Oregon coast was launched because we didn’t know where it was,” said Glasgow. A Coast Guard C-130 from Air Station Sacramento (Calif.) also was launched because the amount of area it can cover. It can remain aloft for 12 to 14 hours during a search operation, and, because of its elevation, it is able to maintain radio

contact with all others involved in the search. While the search was underway, personnel at Station Yaquina Bay were busy trying to track down information regarding possible missing boats. Other stations along the coast were doing likewise, but they could find no charter or commercial vessels unaccounted for. By that time, some who were involved in the search were beginning to wonder if the distress call was a hoax, but Glasgow said the call for help “was an older gentleman’s voice, so I was pretty sure we weren’t dealing with a hoax.” The Coast Guard sent out a radio broadcast, asking vessels if they had heard the original distress call. That inquiry brought a positive response from a couple of boats offshore from Depoe Bay, and because a boat-to-boat radio transmission is limited to around seven to 10 miles, this information allowed the Coast Guard to narrow the search area considerably. Aircraft and boats were diverted to the new search area and at about 5 p.m. a helicopter crew reported seeing an oil sheen, and a little bit of debris in the water. It wasn’t until shortly after 8

Newport firefighters assist a Coast Guard helicopter crew in transferring three men to an awaiting ambulance at the Newport Airport. The three men, who survived seven hours afloat in the ocean, were taken to the hospital in Newport for treatment.

p.m. that a commercial fishing boat – F/V Way to Go II – came across the three men clinging to an ice chest. Only one of the three was wearing a life jacket. The fishing boat radioed the Coast Guard and then stood by while a helicopter recovered the victims from the water. The survivors were taken to the Newport Air Facility and taken by ambulance to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital for treatment of hypothermia. One man was released from the hospital that same night, and the other two went home the following day. Glasgow said the men had been fishing for albacore tuna, which prefer warmer water. So when the boat sank, the men ended up floating in an area where the ocean temperature was 65 degrees, rather than a more typical temperature in the mid 50-degree range. Although the water was still cold, said Glasgow, it made a big difference. Coast Guard officials did not release the names of the three men, who were said to be “in their 50s and 60s. Reportedly, a Portland man owned the boat, which was moored at the Embarcadero Marina in Newport. The other two were from Waldport and the Tidewater area, according to the Coast Guard. Glasgow said the search was aided by the fact one of their spouses became concerned and contacted the Coast Guard. “I ended up speaking with two of the spouses,” said Glasgow, “getting information as far as a description of the boat and the names of the people on board. And we were able to locate the guy’s truck at the marina.” Glasgow said when a boater issues a distress call, there are three things that help considerably when it comes to a search and rescue operation: reporting the nature of the distress; providing a description of the boat and how many people are aboard; and knowing the vessel’s position.

WE ARE PROUD SUPPORTERS OF SAVING THE HELO

You’re safe, now. It took teamwork from first responders to save an injured man trapped by an incoming tide at Fishing Rock, three miles north of Depoe Bay. After a USCG helicopter crew from Newport plucked the victim from a jagged rock isolated by crashing waves, he was flown 50 feet to a bluff where firefighters, deputies, paramedics and other Coast Guard members were waiting with a litter. As they started the half-mile trek over rugged ground to a waiting ambulance, a firefighter placed a stuffed toy in the grateful man’s hands. “You’re safe, now,” said the firefighter.

Bay Rescues: Depoe, Siletz

Rescue close, but so far away. A U.S. Coast Guard motor lifeboat from Depoe Bay, that was dispatched to rescue a stranded beachcomber in shallow Siletz Bay, stands off after a USCG helicopter from Newport was called in to lift out the victim. The rocky headlands of the Oregon coast lure hikers, but it often takes more than a boat to rescue them when they are stranded or swept away.

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A24

News-Times • Newport, OR

FOR OUR COMMERCIAL FLEET, RECREATIONAL FISHERS, NON-MOTORIZED BOATERS, AND FUTURE LOG & CRUISE SHIPS. The Port of Newport is concerned about the District’s decision to close the Coast Guard Air Facility located in Newport. We believe that this decision will result in the additional loss of human lives. Yaquina Bay is Oregon’s largest commercial and recreational fishing port. In 2013, over 130-million pounds of fish were landed in Newport totaling over $54-million in value to Oregon commercial fishermen. Though Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay stopped tracking outbound bar crossings in 2011, over the last year, the Port served over 700 commercial boats and 1000 recreational boats in our boat basins. Many of these fishing trips occur during the most dangerous ocean conditions from December through February. In addition to fishing traffic, the Port will begin international log shipments and actively recruiting cruise ships to visit Newport in summer 2015. Furthermore, the Port of Toledo is currently building a state-of-the-art boat haul-out facility that will draw hundreds of additional vessels into Yaquina Bay. Newport is also becoming a major marine education and research support center on the Pacific Coast. With the addition of the NOAA Pacific Marine Operation Center in 2011 and increased investment by Oregon State University in the Hatfield Marine Science Center, Yaquina Bay will also see burgeoning growth in research and survey vessels. If any of these vessels run into trouble, the amount of time for air support will increase from twenty minutes to sixty minutes for Dolphin support and over an hour for Jayhawk support. This is a huge amount of valuable time. The Port hopes that the U.S. Coast Guard will re-consider the impact of this decision and take into account the growth of marine traffic that is occurring in this key port on the central Oregon coast.

Photo by Jo Wienert © jofotos.com

P O R T O F N E W P O R T. C O M

Friday, November 21, 2014

A25

News-Times • Newport, OR

Feb. 5, 2011: Two Teens Drown After Being Swept From Rocks In Yachats

FEB. 10, 2008

JAN. 11, 2009

Coast Guard Helicopter rescues surfer saves two off at Depoe Bay Yaquina Head A Coast Guard helicopter crew from Air Station North Bend and a motor lifeboat crew from Station Depoe Bay pulled a surfer from the water after strong currents stranded him in a cove near Depoe Bay. According to the Coast Guard, Lincoln County’s dispatch center contacted the stations at 1:41 p.m. to report a surfer in distress near Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area. The helicopter and motor lifeboat crews were launched “minutes later” to assist. The helicopter crew hoisted the surfer to safety at about 2:05 p.m., transporting him to waiting emergency medical technicians in Newport. No injuries were reported.

The Coast Guard rescued two surfers trapped on the rocks at Yaquina Head Sunday afternoon after receiving a report around 1:30 p.m. that three surfers were in distress. Stations Yaquina Bay and Depoe Bay launched 47-foot lifeboats, while a helicopter from the Newport Air Facility was dispatched to the scene. One of the surfers had made it to shore while the other two were still trapped on the rocks. They were hoisted into the helicopter and transferred to the shore unhurt, while the surfer who had swam ashore was transported to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital for treatment of shock and hypothermia.

NOV. 12, 2012

Young surfers get a lift Around 10:40 a.m., Newport Fire Department personnel responded to a report of two juvenile surfers who became stuck on the rocks on the south side of Yaquina Head. The first arriving fire unit found the youths with their surfboards, sitting on the rocks about 15 feet above the water line. They were about 100 feet from the shore. Rescue personnel made contact and determined that the two were uninjured. Coast Guard personnel from Station Yaquina Bay and an Air Station North Bend helicopter responded. The youths were hoisted off of the rocks by the helicopter crew and met on the beach by medical and fire personnel, who evaluated them.

s r e f r u S Saved

Surfer rescue hangs on fast response. Missions to rescue surfers swept away by fast-moving currents offer year-round challenges for helicopter crews. Above, a rescue swimmer is lowered into the Devils Punchbowl three miles north of Newport to save a surfer carried off by a powerful rip tide. Below, the surfer ascends safely just moments later in a safety basket.

JULY 14, 2010

Man rescued in heavy surf after falling near Yachats The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a surfer offshore from Yachats on Wednesday. The Yachats Fire Department contacted Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay at around 3:10 p.m. after responding to a call to assist a 45-year-old male who had fallen from his board in heavy surf. The station launched a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew and a shore unit crew, while a Coast Guard helicopter crew was dispatched from the Newport Air Facility. The helicopter crew hoisted the man to safety and delivered him to a nearby parking lot where he was treated for exposure and released unhurt.

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A26

News-Times • Newport, OR

TIMELINE:

Friday, November 21, 2014

Mar. 28, 2012: Fishing Vessel Runs Aground On North Jetty Of Yaquina Bay

A Coast Guard swimmer is lowered from a helicopter on Thursday, March 25, 2010 to begin rescuing the first of four surfers who were unable to return to shore after being swept by the tide from Otter Rock to Devils Punchbowl. It was the third rescue in the area by the Coast Guard helicopter over a two-day period. None of surfers were injured. (Photo courtesy of Depoe Bay Rural Fire Protection District) MARCH 24-25, 2010

Four surfers rescued from riptide near Otter Rock The Depoe Bay Fire District (DPFD), Oregon State Police and a Coast Guard helicopter crew responded three times in a little over 24 hours to assist surfers near Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area last week. The first incident occurred about 11 a.m. on March 24, when the DPFD received a call about a surfer in distress at Otter Rock. DPFD Lt. Dennis Knudson said the surfer got out of the water on his own as the fire department arrived. Knudson said a riptide current at the popular surfing location can be dangerous,

though “locals know how to use the rip to their benefit to get out (from shore) and then get out of the rip and ride a wave back in.” Emergency crews returned to Otter Rock at about 6:30 p.m. in response to a report of three surfers in trouble. They also managed to get out of the rip current, and ride a wave back to shore. At about 2:40 p.m. on March 25, the DPFD received a call of eight surfers in trouble at Otter Rock. Four of them returned to shore on their own, but the others were swept into a cove on the south side of the Dev-

ils Punchbowl when rescue crews arrived. “It was definitely a dangerous place to be,” Knudson said. “They could have easily been pounded up against the rocks. There was no way they were going to get out on their own.” The Coast Guard dispatched two 47-foot motor lifeboat crews from Depoe Bay, and one helicopter each from Air Station North Bend and the Newport Air Facility. The crews arrived on scene about 3 p.m. and hoisted the surfers from the churning waters of the cove to DPFD personnel at the state park.

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Knudson said the rip current at Otter Rock is fairly constant, but can vary in intensity depending on wind and surf conditions, and can stretch up to several hundred feet wide. “It’s not uncommon for surfers new to the area to get caught in that rip and end up on the rocky outcrops,” he said. “Their choices are to go back in the water or be hoisted via helicopter. We’ve hoisted several in the last year off that little area.” The rescued surfers were from the Salem area and they were fortunate, Knudsen said, that weather condi-

tions allowed the helicopters to reach the area because the rough surf made rescue by boat impossible. The DPFD is exploring the possibility of acquiring landbased rescue options such as rappelling to get to people trapped below the steep bluffs of the coastline, he said. Otter Rock Surf Shop manager Collin Prescott said the waves were higher than the 10-foot maximum considered “surf save,” and the rescued surfers were beginners on rented equipment from a different surf shop. “First and foremost, on that day no one should have

been renting any equipment,” Prescott said. “On a day like that, you don’t rent. It’s just not the right thing to do.” The Salem surfers were alone and with no experienced locals around to warn them of the danger, Prescott said. The Dolphin helicopters cost about $11,000 an hour to operate, according to the Coast Guard. The Sector North Bend, which includes units between Depoe Bay and the southern Oregon border, participated in 200 search and rescue missions last year.

OUR EYE IN THE SKY

The same dedication we have, is the same dedication our officials need to have to fight to keep our Helo based in Newport. Our Coast Guard Station is an integral component of serving the West Coast. Removing our rescue helicopter from the Newport area will hurt the fleet and jeopardize the lives of thousands. Stewart Title is proud to be part of the Lincoln County community and joins in the fight in saving our Helo and for the continued safety of our fishermen and women, families, research vessels, NOAA and tourists.

KEEP OUR FLEET INTACT! NEWPORT

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News-Times photo circa 1998

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Friday, November 21, 2014

A27

News-Times • Newport, OR

“

The Depoe Bay Fire District serves a small coastal town which caters to tourists. We are protected by volunteer firefighters supplemented by a small career staff. We fight fires, respond to medical calls, car accidents, and often to homes where people just may need some companionship. We are not equipped for, nor are we trained for, water rescue. We rely on the USCG for that and they do a fantastic job.

”

By Chief Joshua Williams October 14, 2014 Admiral Paul F. Zukunft Comm

Dear Admiral Zukunft:,

andant Unites States Co

ast Guard 2100 2nd St. SW

Washington DC 20593-7

000

Please reverse your decis ion to close the USCG Ai r Station Newport, Oreg USCG to save money wi on. There must be anoth thout placing lives in da er way for the nger. The closure of this the central Oregon coast Air Station will increase from approximately 15 mi response time on nutes to 60 minutes or mo can to reduce response tim re. In my line of work, we es, not increase them. do what we I am not a polished politi cian, I am not a metropo litan Fire Chief, I am no State Representatives an t use d especially the Admiral of the United States Coast d to writing letters to Congressmen, for. The people of this Fir Guard, but this is a cause e District and this part of worth fighting the Oregon coast need the assets of the USCG. The Depoe Bay Fire Distr ict serves a small coastal town which caters to tou firefighters supplemente rists. We are protected by d by a small career staff. We fight fires, respond to volunteer to homes where people jus medical calls, car accide t may need some compan nts, and often ionship. We are not equip rescue. We rely on the US ped for, nor are we traine CG for that and they do d for, water a fantastic job. We were notified on Octob er 2, 2014 that the Air Sta 2014. Now fast forward tion in Newport, Oregon to a little over a week lat er, October 11, 2014. My would be closed effective November 30, eight people stuck on the fire district was dispatch rocks just North of Depo ed to a report of e Bay, Oregon. As it turns out, there we re six people on the rocks when the fire district arr jump into the water and ived. Several of the indivi struggled to swim to sho duals decided to re. Luckily they made it. from the surf unconsciou Unfortunately, one youn s, to be given rescue bre g victim was pulled aths by a caring bystand er. This is where your decis ion impacts the rubber me eting the proverbial “road requested assets in the for ”. Upon dispatch, I imme m of a USCG helicopter diately . I did this first because I serious danger – incoming know my area and these tide, 15-foot waves and pe ople were in ve visitors to the coast are no ry cold water. Secondly, I know that time is of the t often prepared for the da essence, and ngerous surf condition we likely possibility. often experience and hy pothermia is a We arrived to find six ind ividuals trapped by an inc oming tide and large wa into the ocean rather tha ves. One young man decid n wait for rescue. He wa s lucky. Had the current ed to jump waiting to greet him with swept him out, there we the power of destruction re 18-foot breakers that would have been no Chief led the operation, match for a human body dealing with the victims . Our Assistant who victims on the rocks. Lu ckily, I had requested a US were pulled from the surf, as our firefighters ass essed the CG Helicopter, and luckil y they were in Newport. Within ten to fifteen minu tes of my arrival, the US CG was saving these pe scared, and could not cli ople from an uncertain fut mb any higher on the roc ure. They were ks. We were thirty minu This was a dangerous sit tes from a full tide with uation and one we face oft 18-foot breakers. en. I believe the outcome response time was one ho would have been very dif ur, versus fifteen minutes ferent if the . Years ago the Newport Fis he They will work just as ha rman’s wives worked hard to get the helicopter here because they underst rd or harder to keep it he ood the need. re now. The impact on us and it will be felt often. will be significant; it will often be painful, There has been a lot of em phasis on saving the ma rin make it easier to find ve ssels in distress. It was sta er, and the USCG insistence that emergency loc ator beacons ted that the helicopters are hours will still be met. Wi faster, and the National sta th all due respect, those arguments do not hold wa ndard of two at the Central Oregon Co ter when it comes to the ast. tourist or resident surfer in distress or the sum One hour in our water could mean death. Our wa ter is too cold and too rou mer time visitor who do gh es not know our ocean, or tide. the people climbing rocks for the during high Please do not remove the USCG Helicopter and the fine men and women wh the United States Coast Guard in the highest reg o make these rescues po ard. We respect what yo basis, but we cannot sup u and your men and wome ssible. We hold port this move. As of thi n do on a daily s past Saturday, you can would agree. bet there are five grateful citizens who Sincerely, Joshua L. Willia ms Fire Chief Depoe Ba y Fire District

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News-Times • Newport, OR

We have come to rely on the Air Facility in Newport, which has been manned courageously & professionally for almost 30 years. Save the Helo. John, Sara, and The Crew 541-574-6424

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Friday, November 21, 2014

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News-Times • Newport, OR

July 3, 2012: Coast Guard Suspends Search For Missing Fisherman

Oct. 12, 2012: Juvenile Surfers Rescued At Yaquina Head

JAN. 22, 2011

Surfer rescued at Otter Rock A 34-year-old surfer was rescued from the Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area south of Depoe Bay Saturday, suffering “mild hypothermia” after he became trapped on rocks in the surf, according to Coast Guard Petty Officer Nathan Bradshaw. Dustin Joll was surfing with a friend, who called 9-1-1 at 1:23 p.m. to report that Joll was in distress. Coast Guard Station Depoe Bay launched a 47foot motor lifeboat and a helicopter crew from the Newport Air Facility was also dispatched, and was able to rescue Joll from the rocks. According to Depoe Bay Fire Assistant Chief Hank Welling, “The surfer got knocked over and his tether line snapped. His board came back, and he managed to get over onto the rocks at the south side of Otter Rock.”

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew rescued a surfer from the rocks at Devils Punchbowl south of Depoe Bay on Saturday, Jan. 22. The man reportedly suffered mild hypothermia, but otherwise was in good condition.

We join the Oregon In the rugged coastal forests, on rocky beaches or the frigid ocean, unforeseen events can be life changing or life ending. For those of us who find ourselves in perilous situations the response and the capabilities of the Newport Air Station cannot be matched.

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A30

News-Times • Newport, OR

Friday, November 21, 2014

OCT. 11, 2014

k c o R m o r f 5 s k c lu P lo USCG He

Quote: “The quick response by a helo out of Newport made all the difference. There were five frightened, cold, wet people stranded on those rocks and I needed a helo there in 10 minutes, not

an hour. We depend on that helo. The surf is too dangerous and too cold for firefighters to enter the water, and time is not a luxury you have when performing rescues.” – Josh Williams, chief of the Depoe Bay Fire Department

Synopsis: A total of eight people visiting the coast became trapped at high tide on a large rock formation just off Fogarty Creek State Park as 20-foot waves crashed against the jagged boulder. Three escaped, though a woman was caught in the receding tide and had to be pulled from the water; she was briefly hospitalized and released. A helicopter from the Newport Air Facility hoisted each of the stranded people off the rocks, the last being airlifted just 15 minutes before the tidal peak covered the area.

Analysis: The volcanic boil that rises from the surf line in the middle of the park’s sandy cove is foolhardy to climb under any conditions with steep flanks that plunge nearly straight into the

ocean. It’s not unusual for tourists who are unaware of the danger and, in this case, the violent surf that pounded the area over a two-day period, to get themselves into perilous conditions. The helicopter is critical in these types of situations because the surf is often either too shallow or too dangerous for lifeboat rescues.

Friday, November 21, 2014

News-Times • Newport, OR

O u r F u t u re “The Coast Guard is not going to change their minds without action by Congress and the community.” Ginny Goblirsch, Newport Fishermen’s Wives

s there a future? Yes, say the people who were involved in placing an air facility in Newport in the 1980s and are now working with the Oregon Congressional Delegation to keep it here. They argue that since the facility was authorized via a bill approved by Congress and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan, the Coast Guard doesn’t have the authority to close it.

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News-Times • Newport, OR

Friday, November 21, 2014

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Friday, November 21, 2014

A33

News-Times • Newport, OR

May 25, 2014: Coast Guard Saves Fisherman 15 Miles From Newport

June 29, 2014: Newport-Based USCG Aircrew Rescues Distressed Kayaker

OCT. 8, 2014

Coast Guard draws citizens’ ire

For the second time in seven months, thousands of Lincoln County residents are marshaling their efforts to stop the U.S. Coast Guard from closing the Newport Air Facility. Petitions, phone calls, websites, letters and several local and state governmental declarations have targeted the military organization’s headquarters in Washington, D.C., as a result of last Friday’s announcement that the facility’s operations would move to Air Station North Bend, effective Dec. 1. What was particularly galling, said Ginny Goblirsch, a member of the Newport Fishermen’s Wives organization that was instrumental in establishing the base in 1986, is closing the air station on the projected opening day of Oregon’s Dungeness crab fishery. “Whoever recommended the closure is clearly not acquainted with conditions here or the variety of marine activity going on,” she wrote in a letter to Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft. “It is by far the deadliest fishery on the West Coast as it is conducted when the ocean is at its worst – freezing cold and turbulent,” she continued. “I believe the decision was made without a full understanding of local conditions.” The Coast Guard, she continued, “has put tremendous effort … into making this winter fishery as safe as it can be. All that is wiped away with the closure of our air station.” The efforts to reverse the decisions have been led by many, including Goblirsch, petitioner Carol DeMuth of Toledo, and several past and present members of Newport

Fishermen’s Wives, including current president Jenny Stevenson. Stevenson said there was some concern when the helicopter didn’t land at the annual “Blessing of the Fleet” on March 15 as it usually does. “We wondered about that,’ she said. The group’s website http:// www.newportfishermenswives.com/ has been particularly busy with more than 1,000 visits since last Friday when Rear Adm. R.T. Gromlich, the commander of the 13 Coast Guard District, announced the organization’s plan to consolidate “avia-

His top priority is the safety of our coastal residents and our fishing industry who would be impacted by this decision.” The Coast Guard had apparently decided to close the facility last April for budgetary reasons, but then unceremoniously delayed making a decision for at least a year. In announcing the Coast Guard’s latest decision, Gromlich said upgraded SAR operations have provided “significantly improved detection capabilities, as well as the ability to use radio signals to more efficiently locate mariners in distress.”

“We’re never really shocked because they can always close it because of funding. But the backlash is going to be significant this time.” Ginny Goblirsch

tion response operations for Search and Rescue (SAR) and other missions in North Bend.” More than 16,000 signatures have been placed on the Internet and paper petitions since last Friday. Besides supportive resolutions by the City of Newport and Lincoln County Board of Commissioners, members of the Oregon Congressional Delegation – including U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Rep. Kurt Schrader – have expressed concern and dismay over the decision. Paul Gage, chief of staff for Rep. Schrader, sent the following response to a request for comment: “The congressman is very concerned about this decision. He is working with our senators to determine the next steps to take.

He added that there also have been improvements in safety and survival equipment that “greatly increase the chance of survival and detection for imperiled mariners.” Gage said the Oregon delegation is “trying to figure what’s different now. We’re a little surprised that there was no interaction with senators or congressmen prior to this decision and no opportunity for us to respond.” Goblirsch concurred, saying: “Nothing’s changed. We still have a strong presence here with more than 250 commercial boats and thousands of sports fishing boats going through the bar every year. We’re never really shocked because they can always close it because of funding. But the backlash is going

to be significant this time.” Prior to Tuesday’s press deadline, Coast Guard headquarters in Washington, D.C. had not responded to a request for financial details, including actual savings for moving the Newport facility to North Bend. A spokesman said that information would be made available later in the week. The facility was created in 1986 after the deaths of three fishermen when the F/V Lasseigne, a Newport-based vessel sank 30 miles west of Siletz Bay. Marilynn Lasseigne said this week that her husband Kenneth and the two crewmen who died in the accident would have been saved if there had been an air facility in Newport. She wrote in an email: “Since it has been in Newport it has saved many people just enjoying our coast that have gotten into trouble – including our precious husbands, sons, Dads and friends. There were budget cuts going on then and it looked like we were not going to get it. We fought on!” Goblirsch said the Coast Guard seems to forget that “the station was established because of lives lost due, in part, to the time it took to get the Coast Guard helicopter on scene. Here, minutes count. In an hour, you are searching for a body.” According to Lt. David Warr, a public information officer for the USCG 13th District in Seattle, SAR activity at the Newport Air Facility during the fiscal year that ended on Sept. 30 has been similar to other years. “There were 44 cases where an aircraft was called to an emergency,” Warr said. “Nine were false alarms, so we had 35 cases and five lives were saved, attributed to the

aircraft. There were three deaths, either at sea or just offshore. There also were 18 lives saved by other assets, including good samaritans,” Warr said that the Coast Guard has a national mandate of two hours to arrive at the scene of an emergency. While it takes “an hour or so” to dispatch a helicopter from North Bend and Astoria to the central coast, Warr said, “we have greater capabilities now with our current aircraft.” Goblirsch made the point that reducing the Coast Guard’s presence here couldn’t come at a worse time because of the growing need for a deepwater port in Yaquina Bay.

Besides all of the fishing activity, Newport is home for NOAA’s western Pacific fleet, the OSU Marine Science Center, and in 2015 the Port of Newport will begin shipping logs out of its new International Terminal.

Rear Adm. R.T. Gromlich was one of the main speakers at a town hall meeting held Oct. 21 at Oregon Coast Community College, but audience participation enlivened the event for more than three hours.

Associated Oregon Loggers, Inc. and the loggers of this state stand with fishermen and all who work and play on land and sea within reach of Newport’s Coast Guard Rescue Helicopter. On the 2 million acres of Forest Land, within reach of Newport, there may be up to 2000 forest workers on the ground in steep, remote areas on any given day. The Coast Guard helicopters provide unique capabilities that are not available by any other means. When all of our efforts are not enough to prevent a worker from serious injury we need the Coast Guard to assist us in providing immediate medical attention. As with the frigid waters of the Pacific, time is of the essence. Minutes count.

Associated Oregon Loggers, Inc. PO Box 12339, Salem OR 97309-0339

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News-Times â&#x20AC;˘ Newport, OR

Friday, November 21, 2014

We have worked to give our fishermen the tools to use to survive an emergency at sea, but a speedy response by rescuers is imperative!

Friday, November 21, 2014

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News-Times Newport, IT HAS SAVED US FOR 30 YEARS - NOW •WE MUST OR RETURN THE FAVOR - NEWS-TIMES

Oct. 8, 2014: Quick Response Saved Boater’s Life

Oct. 31, 2014: Coast Guard Delays Action Until Mid-December

A standing-room-only crowd of about 250 people attending meeting Monday night included Ginny Goblirsch (front, right to left), Jennifer Stevenson and Michele Longo Eder. Speaking for fishermen and the Newport Fishermen’s Wives Association, they questioned the Coast Guard’s recent decision to close its helicopter air facility at the Newport Municipal Airport. OCT. 21, 2014

Strong opposition surfaces with proposed closure of Newport Air Facility The message sent to the U.S. Coast Guard entourage from a large, emotional audience attending Monday night’s meeting regarding the proposed closure of the Newport Air Facility was “not over my dead body.” The estimated 250 people filling the Commons at Oregon Coast Community College offered a respectful, appreciative standing ovation when Coast Guard personnel were introduced, but rancor was palpable when their leader addressed the decision made in Washington, D.C. Rear Adm. R.T. Gromlich, commander of the 13th Coast Guard District in Seattle, said during his address that he couldn’t do anything about the Nov. 30 closure of the facility, “but we are listening and we will continue to listen. That’s why we’re here.” Gromlich certainly got an earful from the more than 40 Lincoln County residents who spoke for nearly three hours against the closure of a facility that’s been in place since

1987. He promised to send a transcript of the meeting to his D.C. bosses. “It’s hard not to be emotional about this because people here have lost a lot of friends and family out there,” said Bruce Mate, a longtime Newport resident and director of OSU’s Marine Mammal Institute. “We need to find a way to move upstream with this problem,” he continued. “That helicopter is a major key to see that these kids come back alive. That helicopter belongs here, where it is needed most.” Gromlich said he was aware that audience “came here hoping to hear something different. I’m sorry that I can’t tell you anything different. I will tell you that we have a process we follow in dealing with our state and local citizens. “That process broke down this time and I personally and truly regret the anxiety that it has caused the local citizen along the Oregon coast,” he continued. “You are in the right to make your concerns heard. That’s why we are here

tonight.” Congressman Kurt Schrader, state Reps. Dave Gomberg and Arnie Roblan attended the event, along with representatives for Gov. John Kitzhaber, and Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. In speaking for the delegation, Schrader said the Coast Guard will be asked to delay the action. “We believe this is totally unacceptable and we have a tough time understanding it,” he said. “This is about lives and that seems to get lost in D.C. sometimes. We’ll take a petition with 18,000 signatures on it and see if that makes a difference.” The overriding theme voiced by the audience was that deaths off the central Oregon coast would occur as a result of a decision to increase by at least an hour the time it takes an emergency crew stationed at North Bend (or Astoria) to reach central coast waters. Several audience members shared personal stories of life and death as they pertained

All of us from support our Coast Guard Helo!

to the importance of having a lifesaving apparatus located at the Newport Municipal Airport, including Lindsay Clark. “I have a son who’s been a fishermen for 19 years in Alaska and Oregon and I love it when I hear our helicopter,” she said. “I feel safe and that my son will be taken care of by the Coast Guard. But I also don’t want to see any more plaques at the fishermen’s memorial at the (Yaquina Bay) State Park.” Since the announcement, the Coast Guard has heralded what it calls a national standard of a two-hour response time, which along with advanced technology and faster helicopters allows it to reach central coast emergencies in no more than an hour. Ginny Goblirsch, a longtime member of the Newport Fishermen’s Wives, said such talk is bureaucratic nonsense. “That national standard is not OK because we’re talking about rescuing people who are in the water, not locating boats,” she said. “We want you

to do what you have promised to do – serve the American public. In our part of the Oregon Coast, being in the water for an hour is a death sentence.” The decision by Coast Guard commandant Admiral Paul Zukunft earlier this month was not a surprise after the announcement last April that helicopter facilities at Newport and Charleston, S.C., would be closed because of budgetary reasons. Gromlich said he understands the importance of the Coast Guard’s role on the Oregon Coast since he spent 1990-94 stationed at Sector North Bend. He also apologized that the Coast Guard’s process for communicating with its state and local citizens in this instance broke down. “For that I personally and truly regret the anxiety that it has caused for the local citizen along the Oregon coast,” he said. “But that’s why we are here tonight and I need to stand up here and hear what the issues are.”

He concluded his remarks with a story he likes to share about a chance encounter with a Coast Guard wife last summer in a Coos Bay hotel elevator. “Before the door closed,” Gromlich recalled, “the woman said: ‘I’m really sorry but I’m going to get pretty emotional here because my husband is a commercial fishermen and when he’s out on the water my kids and I can rest at night because we know the Coast Guard is there.’” “As I share that story I tell people that by the time she was done there were two very emotional people in the elevator,” said Gromlich. “I don’t know her name but I can tell you I think of that young woman, that young mother and young wife all the time. “It reinforces to me the incredible responsibility and duty we have as public servants,” he continued. “And I pledge to you my commitment to ensure that when a call goes out the Coast Guard will be there to answer it.”

The Coast Guard Life Saving Care Adventist Health supports the Newport Coast Guard Helicopter as an essential first responder on the central Oregon coast.

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