When a massive swell slammed Oregon recently, the U.S. Coast Guard sent motor lifeboat crews into the pounding surf for an epic day of maneuvers.
Photographer Jeremy Burke, who was given advance notice of the Dec. 26 training session off Newport, captured several stunning images and began sharing them this past week via social media.
The maneuvers involved two motor lifeboats from U.S. Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay, which currently features one of Burke’s images as its Facebook profile photo.
Burke also sent images to For The Win Outdoors, and viewers will note that seasoned crews aboard both vessels met enormous waves head-on while practicing for real-life emergencies.
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“This was a special day on the Oregon Coast with 20- to 25-foot wave faces on a day that there was little wind and it was sunny,” said Burke, who was shooting from the dunes at South Beach State Park. “Close to perfect conditions.”
Burke said maneuvers lasted three hours and that one of the vessels was the 52-foot motor lifeboat Victory, built in 1956. The Victory is one of four 52-foot motor lifeboats operated by the U.S. Coast Guard, which describes them as “virtually unsinkable.”
(The victory is white; the gray motor lifeboat photographed by Burke measured 47 feet.)
Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay describes itself as a multi-mission unit specializing in search-and-rescue operations and maritime law enforcement.
The station often schedules training sessions on days when high surf and/or high winds are in the forecast.
–Images are courtesy of Jeremy Burke