In this image released by the Coast Guard, members of the crew of the tugboat Invader display their citation with Coast Guard Capt. Fred Myer. (From left to right Joe Daley, Coast Guard Capt. Fred Myer, Jeff Baeker and Mike Tuthill) (U.S. Coast Guard/Sector Portland)


In this image released by the Coast Guard, Joe Daley of the tugboat Invader displays his citation with Coast Guard Capt. Fred Myer. The crew of the Invader assisted with the rescue of 97 passengers aboard the sternwheeler Portland, June 27, 2008. (U.S. Coast Guard/Sector Portland)

In this image released by the Coast Guard, Mike Tuthill of the tugboat Invader displays his citation with Coast Guard Capt. Fred Myer. The crew of the Invader assisted with the rescue of 97 passengers aboard the sternwheeler Portland, June 27, 2008. (U.S. Coast Guard/Sector Portland)

SEATTLE - The crew of the Tidewater Tug Invader was honored by the Coast Guard at the Tidewater Tug and Barge Lines office in Vancouver, Wash., Tuesday.  

The crew, including the tug's master Jeff Baeker, pilot Joe Daley, deck mechanics Mike Tuthill and John Hill and Army Corps of Engineers Biologist Connie Grantwere were cited for their assistance with the rescue of the sternwheeler Portland June 27.  Hill and Grantwere were unable to attend the ceremony.

The Captain of the Port of Portland, Ore., Coast Guard Captain Fred Myer presided over the ceremony and praised the crew for their quick thinking and immediate action when dealing with the situation. 
 
When the stern wheeler Portland went aground and was disabled near Bonneville Dam, the Coast Guard immediately sent an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast over channel 16 asking any and all vessels in the area to lend assistance if possible. The crew of the Invader was transiting the area and answered the call.

The crew of the Invader secured the disabled Portland that was in danger of drifting into the Bonneville Dam lock system and towed the vessel to a safe moorage at the Columbia Gorge stern wheeler dock at Cascade Locks, Ore. All 97 people onboard, including crew and passengers, were safely evacuated to shore without injuries.

The Coast Guard relies on Good Samaritans when dealing with situations that require action when immediate Coast Guard resources are unavailable.