Bulletin Board
On the night of February 12, 1997, the crew aboard a 31-foot sailboat, the Gale Runner, became trapped during a violent storm in the waters off the rugged and often dangerous Pacific Northwest coast near La Push, Wash. The master attempted to escape the fury of the storm by sailing to a nearby marina, but that attempt was thwarted when 25-foot waves and 30-knot winds demasted the boat and blew out hatches and portholes.
After the vessel became flooded and the engine failed, it began to drift dangerously toward nearby rock formations. The crew called for help.
First to answer the call was a search and rescue crew from Coast Guard Station Quillayute River, Wash. Within minutes, the four-man crew did what Coast Guard small boat crews are known for doing – heading into treacherous waters while other mariners retreat.
As their 44-foot, steel-hulled motor lifeboat (MLB) crossed the Quillayute River bar and plunged into the storm, a towering wave rolled the boat. The boat righted itself and the crew pressed on. The tumultuous sea struck back and rolled the boat two more times, ripping the superstructure off and leaving three of the four-man crew in the churning waters.
Miraculously, the fourth crewman remained tethered to the boat and made it to land after ocean currents pushed the crippled boat onto nearby James Island.
Lost in the accident were Petty Officer Second Class David Bosely, Petty Officer Third Class Matthew Schlimme and Seaman Clinton Miniken.
The two people aboard the battered sailboat were later rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter crew moments before the boat struck the rocks.
February 12, 2009 marked the twelth anniversary of the tragic accident. Although twelve years have passed, few people in the Coast Guard’s small boat community have forgotten about the men who made the ultimate sacrifice while trying to save the lives of two total strangers.
This anniversary, like in years past, a wreath and flowers were placed at the station beside a brass and granite memorial of a 44-foot MLB in the surf. Station personnel, local citizens, members of the nearby Quileute Tribe and family gathered around the memorial to remember the men. Afterwards the 100% biodegradable wreath was removed from the memorial and delivered to the site of the accident as shown in the photos above.
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