2 Men Rescued From Water Near UP Sunday: West Pierce Fire

CHAMBERS BAY, WA — Two men whose boat capsized in the Puget Sound Sunday evening are recovering on land today thanks to the quick efforts of multiple emergency response teams, including West Pierce Fire & Rescue and Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One.

The men were reportedly boating near Point Defiance around 4 p.m. April 21, when their dingy capsized somewhere between Salmon Beach and the Narrows Bridge. About an hour later, a Good Samaritan arrived at a public dock on Day Island with one of the stranded men.

At Day Island, the first man rescued fought through a language barrier in order to successfully explain to emergency responders that his friend was still in the water somewhere.

Additional agencies immediately joined in the search.

Anderson Island's fireboat team reportedly found the capsized dingy near Chambers Bay, but they did not locate the missing boater; he was ultimately found by West Pierce firefighters in Fireboat Endeavor about a quarter-mile from the dingy.

When he was located and pulled from the water, the second man was in an "altered level of consciousness," fire officials said, noting the man was taken to Narrows Marina and then hospital for treatment of "exposure to the elements."

"West Pierce Fire & Rescue works tirelessly to train for such situations," officials said in a statement. "Marine pilots for Fireboat Endeavor, rescue swimmers and divers make up our water rescue program, ensuring any water rescue on Puget Sound or any of our many lakes are responded to efficiently and quickly."

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