A US Coast Guard and the crew of a fishing vessel responded when a trawler capsized and sank at the mouth of the Astoria River in Oregon.
The 55-foot Astoria-registered trawler Star King took on water and capsized on Saturday morning. Its five crew were all rescued by the crew of fishing vessel Sea Ballad.
The five were then transferred to a launch from Coast Guard Station Cape Disappointment that took them to the station at Ilwaco. None of them required medical attention.
The initial mayday call from Star King was received on Channel 16 at 0431 by watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Columbia River command centre and by 0510 all five crewmen had been accounted for.
‘The quick, selfless actions taken by the crew of the good Samaritan crab vessel Sea Ballad and the fact that the Star King’s crew put on survival suits saved five lives today,’ said Chief Petty Officer Justin Urbano, command duty officer, Sector Columbia River.
‘The Coast Guard had a quick response, but these fishermen were out of the water before we arrived on scene.’
The sunken Star King is not blocking navigation, but is a hazard to navigation and all mariners need to be on the lookout if they transit the area.
Star King had approximately 300 gallons of fuel onboard when it sank. Personnel from Sector Columbia River Incident Management Division have been notified and will oversee the cleanup of the pollution threat.
