Weather causes boaters to seek refuge at lighthouse

Three men aboard a 24-foot Bayliner made it to the Dungeness Spit and sought refuge at the New Dungeness Lighthouse on Monday evening after calling the U.S. Coast Guard’s Puget Sound Joint Harbor Operations Center at about 5:30 p.m.

By Alana Linderoth • December 10, 2014 4:23 pm
Monday evening a 24-foot boat with three men came ashore the Dungeness Spit after the boaters experienced threatening weather conditions.
Monday evening a 24-foot boat with three men came ashore the Dungeness Spit after the boaters experienced threatening weather conditions.

Three men aboard a 24-foot Bayliner made it to the Dungeness Spit and sought refuge at the New Dungeness Lighthouse on Monday evening after calling the U.S. Coast Guard’s Puget Sound Joint Harbor Operations Center at about 5:30 p.m.

The boaters made the distress call because of threatening weather conditions and noted they only had one life jacket on board, U.S. Coast Guard Operations Specialist Josh Morales said. In response to the call, U.S. Coast Guard officials launched a helicopter, but by the time the helicopter had located the boat, the boaters had made it to the north shore of the spit just west of the lighthouse.

Using the spotlight from the helicopter, lighthouse keeper Dave Thompson assisted the three boaters to the keeper’s house where they spent the night.

“A situation like this has never happened to us while were out here. We’ve been told that every few years hikers get stranded out here, but this was pretty unusual.” Thompson said. “It was obvious these guys needed to get off the boat and our first concern was getting them inside where it was safe and warm.”

Thompson, along with his wife Joy are from Whidbey Island and have acted as the New Dungeness Lighthouse keepers once before.

After the three boaters were safe and reported no injuries, Thompson made sure the boat was secure so it wouldn’t become an environmental hazard given there was gasoline aboard the boat, he said. By late morning, Tuesday, Dec. 9, officials with Marine Assist of Port Hadlock were able to tow the boat back to its original destination of the John Wayne Marina.

“The propeller didn’t look in very good shape to me,” Thompson said.

The three men aboard the boat were visiting from California and were surprised by how quickly it got dark, Chad Kaiser, general manager of the New Dungeness Lighthouse, said. Thompson added, the boaters hadn’t intended to be out past dark, but got caught up in weather conditions more than the boat could comfortably handle.

Although the boat’s navigation system was “questionable,” Thompson said the boaters were able to see the light from the lighthouse and used it to safely guide themselves to shore.

 

 

Reach Alana Linderoth at alinderoth@sequimgazette.com.