PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. — Crews with the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles pulled a man and his dog to safety after their sailboat ran aground in the Port Townsend area on Christmas Day.
According to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, around 7 a.m. Christmas morning, a passerby called to report a man in distress between the port of Port Townsend and the Port Townsend Paper Mill. The passerby said that the man, struggling to navigate his sailboat in the strong winds, had requested help.
Despite the sailor’s best efforts, JCSO reports that the sailboat ran aground near the Larry Scott Trail, and both the man and his canine companion were stranded on the vessel surrounded by crashing waves.
A U.S. Coast Guard rescue swimmer arrived to help, successfully leading the two to safety and bringing them onto shore unharmed.
U.S. Coast Guard Pacific Northwest congratulated the team on the successful rescue, saying, “A holiday partner story with an excellent ending! Bravo zulu to this team!”