Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue saved a man who lost control of his boat in the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Saturday, according to a report shared by Division Chief Chris Geiger.

At about 2:15 p.m., ICOM dispatched Central Whidbey Fire and Rescue and North Whidbey Fire and Rescue to a “vessel with dead motor, being tossed around by the waves.” According to the report, the only man on board said the rough sea conditions drenched the outboard motor, causing the engine to stop working.

The 19-foot Bayliner boat was located about four miles from the Keystone marina and north of the Point Wilson Lighthouse, and was struggling as the southwest winds blew at about 20 to 30 miles per hour and 3-to-5 foot waves crashed on the bow and the stern of the vessel, Geiger wrote.

This was a marine rescue situation, which Geiger said was life threatening. Most of the times, responders get calls related to marine assist calls, which are typically low priority and usually involve a boat breaking free from the dock without any occupants and may pose a risk to other vessels.

Central Whidbey responders launched the Marine 5, a 27-foot rescue boat used for search and rescue and calls for medical emergencies at sea.

The boat, which is brand new, is kept at Fire Station 53, which is conveniently located halfway between the eastern and the western coasts of the isalnd, Geiger said in an interview.

A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter hovered over the boat ready to deploy a rescue swimmer in case the man, who was wearing a life jacket, decided to jump in the water. In the meantime, two North Whidbey Fire and Rescue rescue boats waited at the Keystone Marina, ready to launch in case Marine 5 needed more support.

Despite poor cell signal, Marine 5 arrived at the vessel at 3:01 p.m.

The uninjured operator, Geiger was told, said “one more wave” and he was ready to jump in the water.

The crew towed the boat, taking it to safety at the Port Townsend marina at 4:15 p.m.