Tech rescue team crosses Columbia

Most wouldn’t dare attempt swimming across the mighty Columbia River.

Then there’s the South Pacific County Technical Rescue Team.

Several members of a local surf rescue group completed the extraordinary endurance swim, just something some members like to do every few years.

“We’re all a little insane,” joked SPCTR member Jeff Chabot, one of six members who completed the swim Saturday, June 1, along with team members Doug Knutzen, Sarah Andrews, Krista Barbic, Eduardo Mendez and Ericka Hazen

From Pillar Rock to Tongue Point Beginning near Pillar Rock on the Washington side, the six swimmers made the roughly nine-mile swim in about three hours before reaching the bank of Tongue Point on the Oregon side. Two support boats, including the Long Shot and Beast Mode, carried family members and support crew, documenting the swimmers as they completed their remarkable feat. Each member wore a wet suit, as the water temperature hovered around 60 degrees.

Tech rescue team members trained for several weeks in preparation, which was a first for most of the team with the exception of seasoned rescue swimmer Knutzen.

“We swam kind of down the channel and across to Tongue Point. We’ve done this multiple times as a team. This was our third time,” Chabot said.

Swimming several miles to cross the river through constant wind and choppy waves was both a mental and physical challenge.

“Making your mind up that you’re going to do it is the toughest part,” Chabot said.

For three of the swimmers, it was their first time attempting such a feat.

“It seemed like a really cool challenge for us,” said Andrews, among the newbies making the monumental paddle for the first time. “We all trained really hard for about 12 weeks.”

services to the Long Beach Peninsula and beyond, working in tandem with law enforcement and emergency agencies.

The team deploys 24/7 to assist in rescues and recoveries related to cliff, beach and surf rescue in and around the water. SPCTR is currently the main agency providing coastal rescue service in the area and is dispatched to assist by the 911 PacCom emergency call system.

The last time the team completed the swim was about seven years ago, members said, adding that they intend to do the swim every three years or so.

The technical rescue team currently includes about 20 active participants, a majority of whom are certified swimmers. Those interested in learning to swim are encouraged to reach out to Astoria Aquatic Center, which offers weekly lessons.

Trans-Columbia swims are uncommon but not unheard-of: Pacific County attorney and retired Washington State Court of Appeals judge Joel Penoyer has made the crossing, for example.

South Pacific County Technical Rescue, (SPCTR) operating since 1978, provides specialized rescue skills to assist during coastal emergencies in Pacific County. The technical rescue team provides beach safety education and rescue