The Coast Guard received a May Day message at approximately 2:30 a.m. last night from the fishing vessel GENESIS A. The vessel was reportedly aground on a sand bar at the mouth of Willapa Bay near Leadbetter Point. A helicopter crew from Astoria, Oregon, hoisted the four crewmen and their dog to safety. There were no reported injuries to the crewmen. The cause of the grounding is unknown at this time, and the Coast Guard is assessing potential environmental damage. Leadbetter Point is a large and pristine National Wildlife Reserve. The sand bars and shoals at the mouth of Willapa Bay are constantly in a state of change, and the bar is recognized as hazardous to cross during winter months.
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