SEATTLE — The Coast Guard rescued a man in Bellingham Bay who was adrift on a small dingy and about to be swamped by rough waters.
The 26-year-old man was trying to row a 7-foot boat across the bay Thursday morning to reach an anchored sailboat when he lost his oars and became stuck as the weather worsened.
Lucky for him, a Good Samaritan on shore heard his cries for help and called the Coast Guard. A rescue boat arrived about 20 minutes later and brought the man to safety.
Medics found he was starting to suffer from hypothermia. The man didn’t have a life jacket or radio, and was not dressed for the weather, Coast Guard officials said. Light rain was reported in the area with wind gusting between 25-30 mph, and Small Craft Advisories were in effect for those waters.
A Coast Guard spokesman said the man was incredibly lucky they reached him in time considering how cold the water was and his lack of safety equipment.