capsized boat

Check out the USCG Pacific Northwest Twitter page. A power boat, looks like about 45 foot, just capsized near the Columbia River bar. Sorry, can't provide a link.

Looking at the videos, looks like they lost propulsion and were sitting beam to. The boat appeared to be doing fine until a big breaker came through and rolled it.

As best I can determine after flipping through tons of pictures, the boat appears to be an Ocean Alexander 460.

Most impressive to me is that while it appeared to have significant damage from the roll (and likely far worse than we can see in the videos), it rolled all the way through and finished upright. Better than I would have expected for a typical unballasted motoryacht type. The whole flybridge and aft hardtop appear to be gone, but the cockpit doesn't appear totally full of water. Can't tell if the side window survived the roll or not.

A link to the twitter thread, if I can post it:
Also a few interesting (unverified) comments in the Twitter thread about him being wanted by police, which would explain a lot about how he ended up out there in those conditions.

From twitter:

Hopefully now they can put him behind bars where he belongs. He’s been defacing public property in Astoria for awhile now and posting it on his Facebook like he’s untouchable. Mother Nature has a way of putting you in check real quick.

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Wow, that's an amazing vid. Wish they continued the film a bit longer

Max Simmons said:

Wow, that's an amazing vid. Wish they continued the film a bit longer

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Yeah, but my guess is that the flight mech/hoist operator was about to get a lot busier.

Am I the only one wondering what became of the rescue swimmer?

soin2la said:

Am I the only one wondering what became of the rescue swimmer?

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I saw him a good 20 feet aft of the boat and a bit further after the boat rolled upright. So the surf got him/her but at least he was not banged up by the boat roll over. But yes more video would clear that up.

Not really that bad for the bar. If they'd have had some power or a sea anchor, they would have been ok. Was blowing 35kn from the SW.

There is another video posted here with slightly more footage but not a lot. https://www.dvidshub.net/video/8724...ave-capsizes-vessel-near-mouth-columbia-river

I don’t know for certain that deploying a sea anchor could have prevented this capsize. But, it for sure couldn’t have made it any worse.

The news just said he is a wanted criminal from Canada. The boat was stolen and he walked away from the hospital they took him to.

Those rescue swimmers are very impressive. Physical ability aside, to drop into those seas with no life lines takes a high degree of mental courage.

That was the swimmers' first rescue. He went to his graduation ceremony afterwards.

rslifkin said:

Most impressive to me is that while it appeared to have significant damage from the roll (and likely far worse than we can see in the videos), it rolled all the way through and finished upright. Better than I would have expected for a typical unballasted motoryacht type.

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Lots of MY would be unstable upside down until the superstructure filled with water. So the popping up from a roll is unsurprising.

Way back in early days of sailing concern over LPS and such it quickly became apparent that having a raised cabin was of enormous benefit in surviving a roll.

The boat was also stolen. He is wanted by Canadian police.

I cross this section of the Columbia Bar. I wait for calm seas. We have had so nasty seas last few days.

https://www.kptv.com/2023/02/03/man...0jTUud0HfO6VUPsccd2UToq8U6OD8BuFwT913fv5xnqvc

Out of the water and behind bars. Hopefully for a long time. Maybe forever.

A few more details in this article: https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-...kie-coast-guard-rescue-swimmer-saves-man.html agreeing with porman's comments.

Delta Riverat said:

Out of the water and behind bars. Hopefully for a long time. Maybe forever.

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Well not exactly. USCG and local police were unaware of the warrants. When he was release from the hospital, he just walked away. RMCP are sending some officers to help in the search.

Jeff F said:

Lots of MY would be unstable upside down until the superstructure filled with water. So the popping up from a roll is unsurprising.

Way back in early days of sailing concern over LPS and such it quickly became apparent that having a raised cabin was of enormous benefit in surviving a roll.

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In a roll that violent I would have expected enough damage from stuff breaking loose inside, windows blowing out, etc. to have significant flooding before it finished the roll. Especially as it appeared to hang for a second before rolling back upright. The basic shape is good for coming through it, but that doesn't necessarily mean the windows and such are up to the task.

soin2la said:

Am I the only one wondering what became of the rescue swimmer?

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Given the post-mission photos, I suspect he came out fine. If you watch closely, you can see him execute the standard surfer move and duck before the wave breaks.

I liked the rescue swimmer’s comment:

“It was definitely an amazing experience and I’d like to do it again,” Branch-Walton said.

Believe me, you don't want to leave a rescue swimmer behind.

Either the helo picked him up or one of the 47's. Usually the helo won't leave scene till the swimmer is safe one way or another and they know departing is critical.

I would love to know how the swimmer boarded the boat so quickly; let alone safely navigate a barrel roll. When he's done with the USCG, he has a career with Cirque du Soleil.

I have this sinking feeling the boat's owner, thinking his boat was safely tucked into its slip, was watching the news that night and said "Too bad for that poor guy. Nice boat - looks similar to mine......"

Peter

Hard for me to be sure, but it looked to me the rescue swimmer was still in the water when the capsized probably washed the other guy off the stern. Not sure the swimmer boarded the boat.

The second video shows the strop (strap) recovery of survivor/swimmer coming up together.

I assume the swimmer was told at some point only one on board.

Ah - that would make more sense. I saw a person on the swim platform and assumed it was the swimmer who ambled up. But thinking it through, plan was probably for the victim to jump into water and swimmer would retrieve.

He still has a job with Cirque du Soleil if so desired.

Peter

The guy they have now arrested was on the swim grid. The rescue swimmer was not on the boat when it rolled. Have not seen any footage of retrieving the thief from the water but the news showed him being carried to the ambo. Also video of rescue swimmer hauled back into helo on news last night.

Pretty sure the swimmer and victim came up together. That is a primary recovery method.

Another USCG retired pilot and I just reviewed it and agree it was a double pickup.

From one article "The swimmer managed to locate the man in the surf and pulled him to safety aboard the MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter. The crew brought him to Coast Guard Base Astoria, where medics treated him for mild hypothermia."

Would the boat be a total loss? I expect so.

pete

Victim was lucky he was on outside of boat. Good chance he would be badly injured had he been inside when he got rolled.

Peter

Pete Meisinger said:

Would the boat be a total loss? I expect so.

pete

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Almost certainly, especially considering we don't know what further abuse it took after the person was recovered. And we don't know how catastrophic the damage inside was after the roll (as far as what major equipment broke free from its mounts, etc.).