Coast Guard finds Oregon divers reported missing during spring break diving trip in San Juan Islands

News Release

U.S. Coast Guard 13th District Pacific Northwest Contact: 13th District Public Affairs Office: (206) 220-7237 After Hours: (206) 819-9154 13th District online newsroom

Coast Guard finds Oregon divers reported missing during spring break diving trip in

San Juan Islands

 

SEATTLE — A Coast Guard aircrew located a father and son diving pair after the divers became separated from their dive boat while diving near the San Juan Islands, Thursday.

The father and son divers, ages 46 and 18 respectively and from Forest Grove, Oregon, were located safe on land and were transported back to their dive boat and reunited with family with no reported injuries by a Coast Guard Station Bellingham boat crew aboard a 45-foot Response Boat-Medium.

The divers were reported missing to Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound at 1:35 p.m., by the father and grandfather of the divers and operator of the dive boat, who is from Anecortes, after the divers didn’t surface at the planned location of Colville Island.

The Station Bellingham boat crew was diverted and an aircrew aboard an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from Air Station Port Angeles was launched at 1:45 p.m. The aircrew located the divers at Point Colville on Lopez Island at 2:24 p.m.

The divers swam to the Coast Guard RB-M and the boat crew helped them climb aboard the boat and transported them back to their boat.

 

-USCG-