A 33-foot sailboat got trapped in some pilings on the Columbia River near the tip of Sand Island in St. Helens, Ore.
Clark County Fire & Rescue and the U.S. Coast Guard were sent to the emergency, which was reported at 1:26 p.m.
Battalion Chief Tim Dawdy, spokesman for the fire agency, said the river’s tide and currents in that area can push boaters toward the pilings. When the wind picks up in the afternoon, it makes for a powerful combination that can cause boats to get swamped.
“It’s a very serious situation when that happens,” he said.
Emergency responders were able to help remove the boat from the pilings. Dawdy said he was not sure how many people were on the sailboat at the time, but no one was injured.
