A Coast Guard crew places a wreath at the mouth of the Quillayute River on Sunday to honor three Coast Guardsmen who lost their lives in a rescue attempt on Feb. 13, 1997. Photo by photo by Petty Officer Nathan W. Bradshaw

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Quileute Tribal Nation held a ceremony on Sunday to mark the 15th anniversary of an accident that took the lives of three Coast Guard members.

The accident occurred at the mouth of the Quillayute River near La Push, Wash., when a 44-foot Coast Guard rescue boat responded to a distress call from the sailboat Gale Runner. The rescue boat was headed toward the sailboat when it was hit with a wave that ripped off its superstructure, resulting in the death of three of the four crew members onboard.

The ceremony on Sunday featured numerous Coast Guard speakers, a song of remembrance by the Quileute Tribal Nation and a speech by a tribal elder. Following the ceremony, a 47-foot lifeboat crew placed a wreath at the mouth of the Quillayute River and a Coast Guard MH-65C Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station Port Angeles conducted a flyover to honor those who lost their lives.

About Deborah Bach

Deborah Bach is the editor and co-founder of Three Sheets Northwest. She is an avid sailor and long-time professional journalist. You can find Deborah aboard Three Sheets, an Island Packet 38, with her husband Marty and their cat Lily.

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