Search underway for three missing people after boat sinks near Mukilteo

[Longfield1]

POSSESSION SOUND, Wash. — A search and rescue has turned into recovery efforts for three people after their boat took on water and sank northeast of Mukilteo Wednesday afternoon.

The U.S. Coast Guard, along with Everett Fire, Everett Police, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, are actively involved in the recovery operation.

Everett police said at around 1:08 p.m., Everett police and fire departments responded to an emergency call reporting a boat was sinking hundreds of feet offshore, west of Harborview Park.

“The police department and the fire department received multiple calls that there was a boat sinking in possession sound approximately 200 feet from shore," said Natalie Given, PIO for the Everett Police Department.


Police continued to note that a man in his 50s was rescued from the sinking vessel by passing boaters. The man in his 50s then reported that three people remained unaccounted for. He described the remaining people as a man in his 60s, a man in his 20s, and a woman in her 40s.

    Upon arrival, police and fire officials located a 26-foot vessel that was substantially submerged," wrote Everett police. "Attempts were made to raise the boat and tow it to shallower waters, but despite efforts, the boat ultimately sank. Multiple agencies responded to assist with the incident. Rescue swimmers, dive teams, marine units, drones, and additional equipment from various jurisdictions were utilized. The U.S. Coast Guard also provided assistance.

Everett police said the group was reportedly out shrimping when the boat began taking on water. However, the circumstances behind the incident are still under investigation, according to police.

“He was out shrimping, and the boat started taking on water, but exactly what caused this to happen, I can’t speak to that. We’re still investigating," said Given.

The lone survivor was uninjured, according to police. The U.S. Coast Guard also said they're looking into whether the boaters had safety gear with them.

“With this case, we’re looking at did they had life jackets on or dry suits, things like that are really going to improve your chances of survival," said Steve Strohmaier, U.S. Coast Guard Spokesperson.






Please wear your life jacket in the ocean. Most people can swim in warm water with a bathing suit on. Swimming with pants, sweatshirts and boots in warm water is difficult. Staying afloat in the ocean thats around 43* is extremely difficult for most people. The boat was only 200 feet from shore and none of them got to shore. Only 1 was picked up by a nearby boat.

From the article seems like either forgot the drain plug or a thru hull fitting busted.

[CP]

Sad news.  Calm, protected waters, mild tides, sunny afternoon.  Hard to imagine something like this happening.  I hope they find the missing people, but if they haven't by now, that's unlikely.

[fishngamereaper]

Shrimp season always takes a couple with it
Sad for all involved

But I can't fathom realizing your taking on water and not having 20 second's to put on life jackets. The boat didn't go down fast, and this wasn't a rogue 12' er on the Ocean...
Besides two lifejackets for everyone one person on my boat I have 6 things readily available that float...
I guess it's possible they didn't have life jacket's on the boat...

[CP]

Yeah, put on your PFD, then fire the engine up and motor into shallow water. 

[birdshooter1189]

Sad story.  I don't spend much time in big (16'+) boats or on salt water, but I take my little 10' aluminum boat and canoes out fishing quite a bit.  For most of my life I would have a life jacket in the boat, but not wear it. It interferred with me casting and felt cumbersome.

Then I had kids and started taking them with me. Myself and every kid WILL have a life jacket on before they get in the boat.  Now I have a fairly comfortable life jacket and it's become second nature to wear it. I'm a very cautious boater, but if my boat ever sinks....I and my kids won't have to worry about keeping our heads above water. We can focus on saving some of the fishing gear.

I know many people go boating without life jackets and come home fine.....but nearly every drowning story has the same factor in common--person wasn't wearing PFD.

[Docspud]

That is crazy.  Seems like every year with shrimping though.  Clog the launches with a half mile of back-up and everyone in a giant rush.  Crap can be forgotten. 

[Stein]

What I can't figure out is how he was more than 100 yards from another boat.  I don't shrimp there but with Brown's Bay closed I would guess there were plenty of people around to lend assistance.  Not only shrimping, but ling is open as well.

WDFW has done a decent job in at least scheduling shrimp days on mild tides.  In the past it was on a set day and the tides could be rowdy depending on the year.

We were talking in my boat about how yesterday may have been the best shrimp conditions we have ever seen.

[ghosthunter]

Sad story.  I don't spend much time in big (16'+) boats or on salt water, but I take my little 10' aluminum boat and canoes out fishing quite a bit.  For most of my life I would have a life jacket in the boat, but not wear it. It interferred with me casting and felt cumbersome.

Then I had kids and started taking them with me. Myself and every kid WILL have a life jacket on before they get in the boat.  Now I have a fairly comfortable life jacket and it's become second nature to wear it. I'm a very cautious boater, but if my boat ever sinks....I and my kids won't have to worry about keeping our heads above water. We can focus on saving some of the fishing gear.

I know many people go boating without life jackets and come home fine.....but nearly every drowning story has the same factor in common--person wasn't wearing PFD.

My wife and I started out in a 16 ft aluminum boat. We had Pfds but seldom wore them. Then we we went to fishing kayaks and she wears a self inflator and I have a regular vest pfd. Then we went to pontoon single person and wear the pfds without fail. We don’t do salt but spend 60-90 days a year fishing small lakes. At 69 and 74 just not worth the risk.

[metlhead]

I put my 21' Sea Fury down off WP about a decade ago. Broken water line overwhelmed the bilge pumps which eventually died when the elec system failed. Foundered for 15 minutes. Plenty of time to gear up. Once water came over the transom, it went under in seconds.

[birdshooter1189]

I put my 21' Sea Fury down off WP about a decade ago. Broken water line overwhelmed the bilge pumps which eventually died when the elec system failed. Foundered for 15 minutes. Plenty of time to gear up. Once water came over the transom, it went under in seconds.

I'm glad you lived to tell about it. 

I know that in many situations, people will have time to recognize the situation and gear up.  But there was a guy recently who drowned off a kayak in puget sound. He called and self reported. Coast guard sent a helicopter....they found his kayak and PFD, but no sign of him.  He was a guy who had it with him, but wasn't wearing it. And also on a kayak that is probably self-buoyant and can't sink. (Effectively making it like a floating life preserver also.)

I suspect the motion of tipping over pushed the kayak away from him. The wind was probably blowing and blew it out of his reach before he had time to grab it and then continued to blow it away faster than he could swim.  In probably less that 1 second, a guy who probably felt confident in his swimming ability, was on a buoyant craft, and had a life jacket on board....became a helpless victim.

I don't feel like I need to tell others what to do.  I used to feel comfortable having my PFD onboard and within reach.  I am now strict about wearing mine at all times when in a small water craft.  If another adult in my boat doesn't want to wear theirs....that's fine, it's their choice. But me and my kids will be wearing ours.

[EnglishSetter]

Mustang Survival HITS work vests for me.  I encourage, but don't require crew to don PFD's unless something gets sketchy (or I know they can't swim/tread).

When a hitchhiker shows up wearing his PFD, I "know" he's serious.  When I hitchhike, I show up with mine on.

RIP to those lost.  Typically loss of life is readily avoidable or at least body recovery.

I also have a $4k liferaft I do everything in my power to never need to use.  But know if I needed it, I'd pay $1MM.

Safety spiel gets spoken every single trip no matter how many times you've been out with me. 

If you ever watch channels such as "Boat Zone" at places like Haulover Inlet, you'll rarely see a PFD donned despite sketch conditions.

EX: 

[CP]

This is the area where the boat went down.  Pretty tame waters.  And the 26' boat was 200 feet off the shore?  It really doesn't add up.

[ganghis]

Even if you're a great swimmer, cold shock can kill anyone.  Involuntary gasping when your head is underwater isn't a good recipe for survival.

[highside74]

This is the area where the boat went down.  Pretty tame waters.  And the 26' boat was 200 feet off the shore?  It really doesn't add up.

Definitely seems odd

[follow maggie]

. 

If you ever watch channels such as "Boat Zone" at places like Haulover Inlet, you'll rarely see a PFD donned despite sketch conditions.

EX: 

I watch those channels from time to time & am always surprised at the number of people traveling through crazy waters w/o life jackets on their kids..

[BD1]

That area doesn't always look like that. I have spent a lot of time in the area. On the water so many things can go wrong and compound very quickly. I would bet that they didn't have lifejackets on. In my opinion that is what went wrong. I have lost two people due to drowning...if they wore a lifejacket I could call them tonight. We all make choices. Nobody gets on my boat without a pfd period. I don't want to live with watching someone I care about die. Water is unforgiving. Prayers to those left behind.

[Alchase]

Just speculation, could his shrimping gear got hung up, and the winch pulled them down enough to take on water?
With a surviver they should have some idea of what happened?

[addicted1]

Sad news, don’t under estimate how quickly things can change on water. Even on small lakes and ponds, it doesn’t take much to for the water to swallow.

[jackelope]

I really feel like people get too macho and feel like they don’t need a PFD. Those folks probably never been in actually cold water, nevermind having all the clothing on, boots etc. It’s a different ball game.
I wore a PFD 100% of the time on my canoe trip last year. A week, paddling 35+ miles, probably threw 1000 casts in that time. Zero issues. Get a good quality PFD and it’s a non issue to fish in it. The inflatables are probably better than nothing but aren’t approved PFD’s.

[Stein]

Just speculation, could his shrimping gear got hung up, and the winch pulled them down enough to take on water?
With a surviver they should have some idea of what happened?

Possible but not likely.  I have a monster puller and an 18' boat and when I've hung up I have not came close to pulling the corner under.  A boat without issues has an enormous amount of flotation.  Maybe in a 12' dingy, but certainly not in a boat anywhere near that size.

[Tbar]

I really feel like people get too macho and feel like they don’t need a PFD. Those folks probably never been in actually cold water, nevermind having all the clothing on, boots etc. It’s a different ball game.
I wore a PFD 100% of the time on my canoe trip last year. A week, paddling 35+ miles, probably threw 1000 casts in that time. Zero issues. Get a good quality PFD and it’s a non issue to fish in it. The inflatables are probably better than nothing but aren’t approved PFD’s.

I get a USCG  inspection every 2 years and inflatables are absolutely approved.  They have do be worn to qualify is the only caveat.

[jackelope]

I really feel like people get too macho and feel like they don’t need a PFD. Those folks probably never been in actually cold water, nevermind having all the clothing on, boots etc. It’s a different ball game.
I wore a PFD 100% of the time on my canoe trip last year. A week, paddling 35+ miles, probably threw 1000 casts in that time. Zero issues. Get a good quality PFD and it’s a non issue to fish in it. The inflatables are probably better than nothing but aren’t approved PFD’s.

I get a USCG  inspection every 2 years and inflatables are absolutely approved.  They have do be worn to qualify is the only caveat.

It’s a tie.

Inflatable PFDs, while comfortable and lightweight, are not generally US Coast Guard approved for all activities and age groups. Specifically, they are not approved for children under 16 years of age, or for high-impact activities like water skiing or operating a personal watercraft (PWC). Additionally, inflatable PFDs require the user to pay careful attention to their condition, as they must be fully inflated and in good working order to meet the Coast Guard's carriage requirements.

[EnglishSetter]

I really feel like people get too macho and feel like they don’t need a PFD. Those folks probably never been in actually cold water, nevermind having all the clothing on, boots etc. It’s a different ball game.
I wore a PFD 100% of the time on my canoe trip last year. A week, paddling 35+ miles, probably threw 1000 casts in that time. Zero issues. Get a good quality PFD and it’s a non issue to fish in it. The inflatables are probably better than nothing but aren’t approved PFD’s.

Inflatables are approved, providing you're wearing it while on deck.

There are some age, weight, activity requirements.  One would be rather silly to wear while say water skiing, tubing, etc.  They are one-and-done until a new inflator is installed.

[Stein]

The inflatables I wear are certainly Coast Guard approved.

I was on the bar today since it was the Bubble opener and I wanted to avoid the crowds.  There was light pressure but I wasn't more than 50 yards from another boat all day.  It's a busy place anytime anything is open there.

[hookr88]

Just speculation, could his shrimping gear got hung up, and the winch pulled them down enough to take on water?
With a surviver they should have some idea of what happened?

Possible but not likely.  I have a monster puller and an 18' boat and when I've hung up I have not came close to pulling the corner under.  A boat without issues has an enormous amount of flotation.  Maybe in a 12' dingy, but certainly not in a boat anywhere near that size.

I don’t know about that. I was driving a 29’ Seasport yesterday and we were trying to recover a drifting pot when a breaker popped. It didn’t even dawn on me at first the pot was hung up, hard. I was trying to maintain on station in a fast current, when the boat got perpendicular to it and within seconds the boat began to list hard.  I was getting ready to run into the cabin to get on the mains because I didn’t think the kicker was going to have enough power to turn us and run upstream to get slack in the rope. As it was it put an about a 6” bend in the puller. Of course our PFD’s were in the cabin next to the door. It was a tense couple of minutes

[Stein]

Yeah, I can see that.  I was thinking more of the puller having the power to winch a boat underwater.  If there is current and you are hung up it would be the same if you had a puller or not, you're anchored to a point in the boat you don't want to attach an anchor to.

[Feathernfurr]

Around 85% of boating deaths that occurred in Washington last year could’ve been avoided if the users had been wearing life jackets. It’s not the cool or fun option but wearing it from the time you leave the dock until you return greatly improved your odds of surviving any sort of boating accident.

In recent years I’ve gone as far as reminding others hunters and fisherman to wear their PFD. The amount of guys I see leaving at 4am in January to duck hunt on hazardous water without a PFD on is shocking. Same for late season fisheries on fast moving rivers.

[Buckhunter24]

I never used to wear one. When I had kids I started, got the Cabelas zip up vests and they don't get in the way at all. It's not only safer for you, but if you're a strong swimmer and wearing a vest, you're going to be able to help others in the water a lot easier as well.

[fishngamereaper]

Something still doesn't pass the sniff test with this incident...

[metlhead]

I'll never put on a life jacket again

[Platensek-po]

I’ve taken swift water rescue multiple times and guided whitewater for many years. Nothing is cooler than a pfd tan if you raft or kayak. When you have participated in recovery ops for bodies in a river or swam a couple miles in water that’s in the 30s you begin to appreciate a pfd. Nobody gets in my boat without a pfd on and securely fitted. The vast majority of people I see without a pfd can’t swim more than 50ft in the best of conditions. Add adrenaline, cold water, heavy clothing or even better, waders and most can’t even keep their heads above water for more than a minute.