In February 2023, Coast Guard station Cape Disappointment in Oregon got a mayday call from a mariner who was in trouble on a day meant for trouble.
The wind was howling, waves rolling at 20 feet, and a 35-foot fishing boat was taking on water at the mouth of the Columbia River sand bar — popularly known as the Graveyard of the Pacific, one of the most dangerous crossings in the world.
Nearby, a Jayhawk helicopter crew at the Coast Guard rescue school was conducting training exercises and responded, lowering swimmer John "Branch" Walton into the high seas. Stunning video shows Walton swimming toward the boat when a huge wave flips the boat over like a toy, throwing the mariner overboard. Walton, though dragged under the water himself, nonetheless managed to reach the mariner and both were lifted up to the helicopter, according to The New York Times. A few hours later, Walton officially graduated from his training.
The story had a strange twist, however. The mariner, who had a history of criminal and erratic behavior, had stolen the boat. He was subsequently arrested.
