(NOVEMBER 28, 2025) A man and his five-year-old son were rescued after their small boat turned over in the Columbia River in early November. They stayed in the cold water for almost two hours. Big waves were moving the boat. They held onto the upside-down boat while they waited for help.
A Coast Guard helicopter came to help them. A rescue swimmer went into the water. The team pulled the man and the boy up into the helicopter. They took them to an ambulance because both had hypothermia, which means their bodies were very cold.
On the same day, the Coast Guard also rescued another person from a sailboat in very rough water.
This rescue happened during a time when people on the Oregon Coast are worried about losing a rescue helicopter. Lincoln County is asking the federal government to return a helicopter to the city of Newport. Leaders say the helicopter is important for saving lives. They say cold ocean water can make a person drown very quickly.