Coast Guard rescues 5 after boat sinks off Oregon

Rob Wilson / Shutterstock

NEWPORT, Oregon — U.S. Coast Guard crews rescued five people whose fishing boat sank Saturday in the chilly Pacific waters off the Oregon coast.

The Coast Guard says it received a mayday call about 4:20 a.m. from the crew of the 75-foot Blazer saying they were taking on water 8 miles west of Siletz Bay.

The boat crew called 10 minutes later to report that they were putting on cold water immersion suits and deploying a life raft.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew spotted the Blazer and the raft in the pre-dawn darkness shortly after 5 a.m.

Three crew members were pulled to safety by a hovering helicopter, while the other two were rescued by a Coast Guard boat. Three people were treated for minor injuries.

The Blazer sank in 420 feet of water with 2,000 gallons of diesel fuel aboard. The Coast Guard is investigating.