Reporting from the "Graveyard of the Pacific"

This week connected 60 Minutes, analogous Bill Whitaker reported connected nan surfmen, an elite portion of nan U.S. Coast Guard. 

These steel-nerved men and women train successful a vulnerable inlet adjacent nan coastlines of Washington and Oregon that has earned an ominous nickname: nan "Graveyard of nan Pacific"— and for bully reason. 

The broad, fast-moving Columbia River and waves that person been walking crossed nan Pacific, each nan measurement from Asia, collide here. The chaotic surf has wrecked thousands of ships and sailboats complete centuries.  

• U.S. Coast Guard trains elite rescuers successful vulnerable area called "Graveyard of nan Pacific"

Certified surfmen are expected to execute daring rescue missions successful waters for illustration these, pinch waves that tin beryllium arsenic precocious arsenic 20 feet and winds up to 50 knots.

Whitaker and nan 60 Minutes squad wanted to climb aboard a 47-foot lifeboat to spot really these surfmen train for 1 of nan Coast Guard's toughest assignments. 

But earlier getting connected board, nan squad needed to trial a barren suit, a waterproof suit that retains assemblage power and prevents hypothermia if its wearer falls into frigid water. 

On a acold greeting successful February, Whitaker tested his suit for leaks. Accompanied by 2 Coast Guardsmen, he submerged himself successful nan icy h2o of nan Columbia River for 15 minutes. 

"I had nary protection connected my hands. And I'll show you, my hands were freezing. But nan barren suit kept my assemblage comparatively warm," Whitaker told 60 Minutes Overtime.  

Whitaker and nan squad were fixed a information briefing earlier they headed retired connected nan lifeboat. They were told to hole for nan anticipation of a "rollover," erstwhile a activity crashes into a vessel and sends it spinning 360 degrees connected its axis.  

While driving nan lifeboat retired into nan inlet, Chief Instructor Eric Ceallaigh explained really nan boat's creation prevents it from sinking successful nan arena of a rollover.  

A ample buoyancy chamber, and different compartments filled pinch air, let nan vessel to popular backmost up if it's flipped upside down. 

"Imagine you put a shot successful nan bathtub…you push it down, nan laces ever sprout up," Ceallaigh said.  

"So, arsenic this vessel gets underwater…it's going to violently re-right itself, to wherever we tin get fresh for nan adjacent wave." 

Whitaker told 60 Minutes Overtime that to forestall him and photographer Dennis Dillon from getting tossed into nan oversea during a rollover, they had to beryllium clipped into 2 points of contact. They were told they would person to clasp their activity until nan vessel re-righted itself. 

"The full rollover usually takes from 8 to 12 seconds…we would person to clasp our activity for that magnitude of time," Whitaker recalled.  

"We'd beryllium bedewed and gasping, but we would beryllium safe and secure." 

Out connected nan crashing waves, Ceallaigh and nan different surfmen-in-training shouted retired erstwhile they spotted a activity coming towards them. 

Ceallaigh accelerated and steered nan vessel to maneuver, aliases moreover clang through, waves coming from each directions.  

One method called "squaring up," progressive pointing nan front of nan vessel astatine nan crest of a ample breaking activity and accelerating complete nan apical of it.  

"You extremity up going measurement up onto nan apical of this wave… you look up, and each you spot is sky," Whitaker explained.  

"Once you get complete nan crest of nan wave… you're looking consecutive into nan water. And you're conscionable being bounced and pushed around. And it really is nan astir unthinkable rollercoaster you could ever imagine." 

Whitaker wondered really Ceallaigh could beryllium truthful calm successful specified a chaotic situation and asked if he enjoyed it. 

"If you fto maine spell take… [a] lifeboat retired into nan surf, I'm instantly successful nan champion mood," he told Whitaker.  

"Full of endorphins. Happy arsenic tin be. All of my problems spell away…I perfectly emotion it." 

The video supra was produced by Will Croxton. It was edited by Sarah Shafer Prediger.

In:
• United States Coast Guard