Members of U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Astoria hoist a dog after she fell from a cliff in Ecola State Park, Cannon Beach, Oregon on June 14, 2023. The dog fell 300 feet and was injured in a secluded area of the beach that could only be reached by repelling down the cliff or by air. (U.S. Coast Guard video by Petty Officer 2nd Diolanda Caballero)
Station Cape Disappointment is known around the Coast Guard as an unforgiving and challenging place to operate. Notorious for 2000 shipwrecks and 700 deaths since its discovery, people across the world recognize it as the Graveyard of the Pacific. But to the crew of Station Cape Disappointment, it is both a home and a training ground.
There is nothing more valuable to human life than the knowledge and skills required to preserve it. A recent course held in Astoria, Ore., offered students exactly that sort of value. The course, specifically designed to educate commercial fishermen on how to survive maritime emergencies, offered a host of information and practical experience aimed at saving their lives.
