Coast Guard tows grounded fishing boat near La Push

SEATTLE — The Coast Guard towed a 40-foot fishing vessel and its crew to safety, Thursday, after it ran aground approximately three miles north of the Quillayute River mouth near La Push, Wash.

The Coast Guard received a mayday call from the four-member crew of the Jayden Ray at 2:20 a.m., after their fishing vessel washed up on rocks and was unable to deploy its anchor.

An MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Port Angeles, Wash., and a 47-foot motor lifeboat crew from Station Quillayute River, located in La Push, deployed to the scene. The motor lifeboat crew was able to navigate through the rocks and throw over a towline at approximately 3:30 a.m., after receiving aid from a spotlight shinned from the helicopter.

The motor lifeboat crew took the fishing vessel and its crewmembers in tow and transferred them back to La Push where a post search-and-rescue boarding was conducted. The cause of the accident is under investigation.