On 2/15/2013, at about 10:00 am, the operator and his passenger were sport crabbing in Willapa Bay on board a 1978 15' Livingston open motorboat powered by a 40 HP Nissan outboard engine. When they tossed a sport crab pot over the side of the boat the loose line got tangled in the propeller.  The pot anchored to the bottom.  As operator tried to untangle the line from the propeller, a strong tidal current forced water over the boat's transom, flooding it within minutes and then causing the boat to overturn.  They had no time to radio for help so they swam to the nearest sand bar.  About 2 hours later a small oyster boat found them and transported them to a larger oyster boat that took them to an aid unit waiting at the Tokeland dock.  No one could speak English but they did try to provide first aid and warmth. 

Both individuals were hospitalized for extreme hypothermia. 

No fatalities. 
Alcohol involvement was not indicated. 
Boat damages were estimated at $1,000. 
Both victims were wearing USCG approved float coats. 
The operator did not have formal operator instruction.  He was exempt from the mandatory boater education card requirement. 
There were no rules of the road operational violations.
Tokeland