Swift Water Rescue in Tillamook - A contribution from the field - Now with video!

We have our first contribution from the field about a case. Last night Coast Guard Station Tillamook, Ore., participated in the rescue of seven people from the flood waters of Faccett Creek. Below is the story of the rescue from a member of the swift water rescue crew BM1 Donald Lanham. This is written in their own words and has not been changed. At the end members of the team contribute their thoughts about the rescue.

Swift water rescue crew:

BMCM Michael Leavitt
BM1 Donald Lanham
BM1 Richard Bartel
MK3 Brian Daughtrey
SN Ross Ellis

At 2045 Tillamook 911 contacted Station Tillamook Bay requesting swift water rescue assistance. Tillamook 911 reported a car in Faccett Creek with 4 people on top of the car. Station Tillamook Bay assembled a 5 person swift water rescue team. Once on scene the swift water rescue team assessed the situation, identifying hazards and a course of action. Due to excessive rain fall and widespread flooding Faccett creek was more like a raging river. Station Tillamook Bay's OIC immediately located the scene and was briefed by the Tillamook FD's incident commander. 4 subjects (1 older male, 1 adult female, 2 young girls) were being assisted by 2 firefighters. The subjects were stranded on a log in the center of a creek. They were surrounded by heavy undergrowth, moving debris i.e. logs etc and the area was covered by a canopy of trees and the subjects were hypothermic. In case things didn't go as planned, an emergency action plan was established with the incident commander. The CG Swift Water Rescue Team began rescue operations. Priority was to get life jackets to the two young girls first, and carry them over one at a time. We continued this process until all were safely ashore including the Tillamook Fire Fighters. During this time the waters rose from waist high to chest high and the currents were now much swifter.

During this rescue SN Ellis remembers the following, "the thing that impressed me most was while I was carrying one of the young girls across the swift water, I reminded her to hold on tight and that it was all going to be ok. Her response to me was that she was only worried about her grandfather making it across."

MK3 Daughtrey," When we got the first girl across, I noticed that we were ankle deep in water and knee deep by the second person. The transits didn't take very long and the water level was rising that fast."

BM1 Bartel, "I could not believe where those people were located. This was my first time I have ever pulled anyone from the water and not been on a CG boat."

BM1 Lanham, "because the water was getting deeper and the current faster, I was concerned about flash flooding and large debris etc that could take out my team."

Personnel from the Fire Department transported the subjects to EMS. After we completed this rescue the Incident Commander requested our assistance. He reported that an adult female was trapped in her SUV with two toddlers on the opposite side of the bank. Once we arrived on scene Fire Rescue had already completed this rescue. We doubled with the incident commander to make sure all personnel were accounted for. He confirmed that 7 personnel were reported in distress and that all 7 were accounted for.

BM1 Donald M. Lanham
Motor Lifeboat Station
Tillamook Bay
Garibaldi, Or

Thanks to the crew from Tillamook for their post and the great work. Check out the links here for a local news story on the rescues and video and the 911 call.

- Chief Paul Roszkowski