A rescue helicopter was returned to Newport, Ore., on Thursday after local leaders filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for repositioning the aircraft and thus prolonging emergency response times.
“Some great news: I just got off the phone with the U.S. Coast Guard, who has returned the rescue helicopter to Newport and promised to keep it there,” Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) wrote in a Thursday post on social platform X, confirming the move. “This is a big win to keep fishermen and the Newport community safe.”
Last month, the state’s Lincoln County and the nonprofit Newport Fishermen’s Wives sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and U.S. Coast Guard for stationing the helicopter approximately 70 miles south of Newport in North Bend, according to OregonLive.
The two plaintiffs cited concerns for frigid water temperatures that can cause people to drown within one to three minutes of immersion, according to court records obtained by the outlet.
By shifting the helicopter’s base farther south, plaintiffs said it would impede on critical rescue missions.
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