A whale watching boat carrying 49 people was towed to shore yesterday after it became disabled in the narrow coastal bar near Newport.
In a news release, the U.S. Coast Guard said they received a call from the captain of the 62-foot Discovery at about 12:45 p.m.
The captain made a ‘mayday’ call to the Coast Guard after the boat began producing excessive smoke and lost propulsion while in between the Yaquina Bay jetties.
Two boat crews from Station Yaquina Bay arrived within 8 minutes of the initial distress call. The rescue crews placed the Discovery into a side tow and returned the boat to the pier where Newport Fire Department and Pacific West Ambulance crews were waiting. The Discovery was moored at 1:30 p.m.
The Coast Guard said all passengers and crew disembarked and firefighters assessed that there was no fire aboard the vessel.