Was in the area last night and heard from off going watch that a Pilot fell into the water around 0145 LT close to buoy #2. The pilot boat and ship lost the pilot in the chop but later found him alive after circling the area. Anyone have any other details on this?
Found this…
A Columbia River bar pilot survived a harrowing tumble into darkness and the Pacific Ocean early Monday while trying to transfer from a Greek-flagged grain ship to a pilot vessel.
The pilot, Capt. Deb Dempsey, fell into the water about 1:41 a.m. shortly after turning the Navios Ionian back over to that ship’s captain. She was attempting to transfer back to the pilot vessel Chinook at the time of the incident, according to Capt. Gary Lewin, of the Columbia River Bar Pilots.
“She went into the water and was rescued almost immediately,” said Lewin, who credited the fact that the crews of the pilot ships are “well rehearsed” in open water rescues. “It all turned out well.”
Lewin said he didn’t have a lot of details because Dempsey was still resting and the investigation was still ongoing Monday afternoon. But he said the incident will be reviewed by both the bar pilots group and outside authorities.
The U.S. Coast Guard was dispatched to help but Dempsey had been rescued by the crew of the Chinook before Coast Guard arrived.
[QUOTE=Bloodyshitcakes;64367]Was in the area last night and heard from off going watch that a Pilot fell into the water around 0145 LT close to buoy #2. The pilot boat and ship lost the pilot in the chop but later found him alive after circling the area. Anyone have any other details on this?[/QUOTE]
[B]This from [U]OregonLive.com[/U]…[/B]
[B] According to the article it was Capt. Deb Dempsey. Hope she is Ok.
oops… Mickey beat me to it.[/B]
Yikes. I’m a prick for assuming that it was a “him”. I hope she is ok, these guys/gals are some of the best!
Wasn’t rough enough for them to be using the helicopter?
Capt Dillon went swiming there a couple of times. I think he’s now a GalTex pilot.
[QUOTE=50thState;64383]Wasn’t rough enough for them to be using the helicopter?[/QUOTE]
12ft seas with 11 second period- winds from south 20-25kts. Probably right on the Chinooks cusp.
Couldn’t of happened to a better person…she’s the one that could put an anchor down on a run away ship cause she couldn’t get power…
Sent from my iPhone using gCaptain
Doesn’t justify something that could have killed her
Deb Dempsy…? First female graduate from Maine Maritime?
Yes,That is the same Capt Dempsey. She is doing well.
She used to be a Captain on a Lykes ship
[QUOTE=50thState;64383]Wasn’t rough enough for them to be using the helicopter?[/QUOTE]
I’ve seen pilots deposited and snatched up several times that pushed the limits of the pucker string.