Lost on Columbia River bar five saved

[Irishrover]

I'll post more about this later, but right now I'll say I'm very proud of my wife and friends for the help we were able to provide this folks. We were able to save 5 out of 6 on a very ruff bar. It wasn't for lack of trying we just could not find the sixth one. Please stay safe out ther on the salt.

 

[OnTheDrop]

Small world. So glad you guys were there. I've known that guide since I was a child. I'm the same age as one of his sons. This guide is as professional as they come, and goes to show you that even the most experienced run into trouble every so often. Very sad about the victim who didn't make it. I feel very bad for Tyler and Hope he's alright. This is a guides worst nightmare. When I heard about this earlier it really made me think about the safety precautions on routine trips.



Be safe out there,

 

[DrTheopolis]

F**K!

It's fishing, no one is supposed to die.

Mr. Rover, you meet the definition of a true hero.

 

[Irishrover]

Small world. So glad you guys were there. I've known that guide since I was a child. I'm the same age as one of his sons. This guide is as professional as they come, and goes to show you that even the most experienced run into trouble every so often. Very sad about the victim who didn't make it. I feel very bad for Tyler and Hope he's alright. This is a guides worst nightmare. When I heard about this earlier it really made me think about the safety precautions on routine trips.





Be safe out there,

We were fishing off Long Beach when the Coast Guard broadcast on the radio the the bar was deterating and recreational boats should return to port. We saw the guide boat and decided to stick with them as they were a smaller boat and it just seemed the right thing to do was to hang with then incase they needed assistance. The guide was returning to port as advised, all his passengers were wearing life vest as advised. It's a shame but that Columbia River Bar can be a killer. I feel so bad for the one we could not find. He left a wife and son.

 

[DrTheopolis]

I feel so bad for the one we could not find.

As do I. But I feel elated that a group of heroes showed up and kept the tragedy to one instead of six.

Man, you had a rough day.

 

[Raincatcher]

Thank you, Lonn, for all that you did and all that you are. A hero all your life. Please tell your wife and friends we hold them all in the highest esteem also. It is tragic to hear this kind of news each year.

 

[Throbbit _Shane]

The risk is always there when we do what we love. Thank you for being alert out there Lonn and giving your all in such a stressful time. Thoughts go out to the family of the lost fisherman.

 

[FishFinger]

Lonn, You are truly a Guardian Angel. My prayers go out to the family of the one lost.

 

[rogerdodger]

wow, nice job Lonn.

 

[lilsalmon]

Just turned on the TV and seen you on the news. Good job for you that you were there and were able to help and decided to stick with the boat.

 

[eugene1]

Glad you were out there to help out, IR!

Sad the last guy got tangled up.

Take care,

 

[JonT]

Great job. Real seamanship. Sorry about the last guy.

 

[Toyracer38]

All I can say is thank God for your instincts! You and your crew are hero's! Sad one was lost. Thoughts and prayers for his family.

 

[mikeee2362]

It's a shame we can't always save them all, nice job Irish.

 

[HereFishy]

Good on ya. That could have ended a lot worse for everyone on that boat. Sounds to me like you've earned a beer and a steak dinner. Kudos man. GREAT JOB.

 

[Irishrover]

It took a lot of team work to get the five that we could. I'm proud of my wife and the two others on my boat that made the rescue possible. I still plan on writing a post about what happened. What I learned what we did right and what I would do different. I just want things to settle a bit. I will say the offshore platform and rear door entry played an inportant role.

 

[eugene1]

I hear 'ya!

It's all good!

Best,

It took a lot of team work to get the five that we could. I'm proud of my wife and the two others on my boat that made the rescue possible. I still plan on writing a post about what happened. What I learned what we did right and what I would do different. I just want things to settle a bit. I will say the offshore platform and rear door entry played an inportant role.

 

[mikeredding]

I just read the news article and knew right off it was you. Great job and bringing them home. My heart goes out the family of the lost.

 

[eugene1]

Updated information today:

Even as a retired cop, Lonn Sweeney didn't expect to save anyone's life June 20 when he piloted his 24-foot Duckworth ocean hardtop, Teresa D, over the Columbia River bar.

But he was certainly prepared for it.

And at least some of the five survivors from a capsizing on the world's trademark-for-treachery ocean crossing owe their lives to his caution – a lesson learned on the cusp of a predicted stellar coastwide ocean salmon season and record run past Buoy 10.

Sweeney, a retired Portland Police sergeant, and his crew, wife Teri, fishing partner Randy Vanderhoof (a current Portland Police sergeant and a part-time fishing guide) and girlfriend Lenka Frank, are credited with the rescue of all five survivors after the capsizing of a 25-foot soft-top aluminum guide boat piloted by Tyler Courtney of Oregon City. One of Courtney's clients died, Craig Robert Biggs of West Linn...