LOCAL NEWS
Coast Guard responds to whale-watching boat taking on water west of Whidbey Island
May 9, 2019, 2:02 PM | Updated: 2:02 pm
Coast Guard officials responded Thursday afternoon to reports of a whale-watching boat taking on water off of Smith Island.
Smith Island is an island located in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca – west of Whidbey Island and south of Lopez Island.
No information about injuries has been released at this time, and all on board were wearing life jackets. The boat is 60 feet long.
The boat was purposely grounded on a Smith Island beach due to it taking on water for unknown reason, the Coast Guard said.
Coast Guard crews were responding with a boat from Station Bellingham and helicopter from Air Station/Sector Field Office Port Angeles, and the crew of the cutter Wahoo and a boat crew from Station Port Angeles were on the way.
The Island County Sheriff’s deputies said the Coast Guard is the lead agency.
