GRAYS HARBOR -- A fishing ship rescued two men Sunday after their 16-foot boat capsized throwing both men into the water, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Officials said the two men, 72 and 53-years-old, had been floating in the water for five hours before they were rescued. An incoming tide helped carry them into Grays Harbor where they were rescued.
The Coast Guard received a call just before noon saying the men had been found. They were transferred to a Coast Guard response boat and taken to the station where medics treated them for signs of hypothermia.
“The help and watchful lookout by the fishermen saved two men today,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin Zariczny, an operations specialist and search and rescue coordinator at Sector Columbia River. “The life jackets the two boaters were wearing were vital in their rescue. However, without the help of the fishing vessel crew, we may never have known they were out there and in trouble.”
Both men were treated and released by medics.
The Coast Guard said the exact position of the sunken boat is not known. There were no reports of pollution.