The crew aboard a tugboat reportedly saved two fishermen last week whose boat capsized in the Columbia River east of Stevenson.
While piloting the Tidewater tug Maverick, Todd Takalo spotted a flashing white light in the water about 1:15 a.m. on Sept. 9, according to Tidewater Barge Lines.
Takalo and his crew approached the light and found the overturned boat with two men on top of it.
In 35 mph winds and 4-foot swells, Takalo navigated the tug to the boat and the tug boat crew pulled the two men aboard. The men, tribal fishermen, said they had been stranded on top of their vessel for more than 45 minutes. Their boat could not be towed or salvaged.
The Maverick’s crew made contact with another tribal fishing vessel in the area, which took the men to shore.
