By Associated Press - Wednesday, June 19, 2019

BELLINGHAM, Wash. (AP) - The Coast Guard had to help nearly a dozen camp kayakers that became stranded in choppy conditions near the San Juan Islands.

KOMO reports the 11 kayakers from the YMCA Camp Orkila got into trouble just before 5 p.m. Tuesday when winds rose to 15 knots and small craft advisories were issued by the National Weather Service. The campers managed to take refuge in a cove at Little Sister Island until help could arrive.

A 45-foot Coast Guard boat from Bellingham came to the rescue and pulled the kayakers to safety and transferred them back to a YMCA boat as a rescue helicopter from Coast Guard Port Angeles stood by.



There were no reported injuries.

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