A man who got separated from his watercraft and became trapped in a “swampy marsh” in Washington was rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter after ground rescuers were unable to reach him, officials said.
Thurston County dispatchers contacted watchstanders at the Coast Guard Northwest District Command Center in the early hours of Tuesday morning to request assistance rescuing a man who was stuck in a marshy wetland in Plumb.
The man had become separated from his watercraft on Monday evening, and spent more than six hours trapped in the swamp while local authorities attempted rescue. Local teams were unable to reach him, however, “due to the unstable geographical nature of the area,” the Coast Guard said.
A Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter crew was launched from Air Station Astoria, in Oregon, to assist. Video shared by the Coast Guard shows the helicopter crew hoisting the man to safety.
The man was transported to Olympia Regional Airport to await emergency medical services.
“We train daily to remain prepared to provide our unique capabilities to the American public,” said Cmdr. Amanda Denning, executive officer of Coast Guard Air Station Astoria. “In this case, we were proud to partner with local first responders to complete this mission. This could not have been completed safely without the efforts from each agency involved.”
