U.S. Coast Guard releases footage of rescue of man trapped in marsh in Thurston County
The U.S. Coast Guard released footage of a helicopter rescuing a man who was trapped in a swampy marsh near Offutt Lake in Thurston County for more than six hours.
According to the July 10 news release, the man was rescued on Tuesday by a Coast Guard MH-60 helicopter crew from Air Station Astoria, Oregon. Watchstanders at Coast Guard Northwest District Command Center were contacted by Thurston County Dispatch who requested assistance in a marsh wetland in Plumb, an unincorporated area of the county.
The Coast Guard helicopter crew was able to hoist the man and transport him to the Olympia Regional Airport to await emergency medical services. According to the footage, the rescue happened around 2:45 a.m. Tuesday.
According to the release, the man had become separated from his watercraft the previous evening and spent more than six hours trapped in the marsh wetland. Local rescue teams were unable to reach him due to the unstable geographical nature of the area.
Sheriff Derek Sanders said on social media a man had gotten lost in the Deschutes River. He said by the time TCSO arrived, fire personnel had located the man and were working on getting access to him. Lacey Fire District 3 assisted by using a drone to help locate the man.
Commander Amanda Denning, the executive officer of Coast Guard Air Station Astoria, said they train daily to remain prepared to provide their “unique capabilities” to the American public.
“In this case, we were proud to partner with local first responders to complete this mission,” she said. “This could not have been completed safely without the efforts from each agency involved.”
This story was originally published July 11, 2025 at 12:44 PM.
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