Seattle Fire crews rushed to the downtown waterfront on Saturday after reports that a person had jumped from a pier into Elliott Bay near the 1300 block of Alaskan Way. Rescue Boat 5 arrived at the scene and found the person in the water, according to city responders.
In a brief post on X, the Seattle Fire Dept. said it dispatched a water-rescue response at 11:21 a.m. PDT on April 11 and that Rescue Boat 5 “located the patient” near the 1300 block of Alaskan Way. The update did not include any information about the person’s condition or whether they were taken for further treatment.
Rescue Boat 5 And The Waterfront Response
According to the Seattle Fire Department Special Operations page, Rescue Boat 5 is a smaller, highly maneuverable vessel based out of Station 5 on the waterfront and is regularly used for water rescues on Elliott Bay. Station 5 and its marine units sit in a key spot to move quickly when something goes wrong along Alaskan Way and the downtown piers.
Waterfront Rescues Are Not Uncommon
The downtown piers have seen several water-rescue responses in recent years. KIRO reported a May 2024 incident near Pier 59 in which fireboat crews pulled a person from the water and brought them to Station 5 for medical care.
How To Help Safely
If you see someone in the water, call 911 and follow the “reach or throw, don’t go” guidance, which advises people to try to reach the person or throw a flotation aid instead of jumping in. The American Red Cross recommends using a pole, rope, or life ring and getting professional rescuers on scene as quickly as possible…