Family of drowned Lummi Nation fisherman critical of Coast Guard response time

Kevin Charles Finkbonner, 38, a Lummi Nation member from Ferndale, was fishing with his brother the afternoon of Aug. 11 — about a mile and half out from Point Roberts — when their 25-foot vessel started taking on water, according to a statement from Lummi Nation Chairman Anthony Hillaire.

One of the men on the vessel called his wife, who then called 911. A distress call was then relayed to the U.S. Coast Guard. It was received at 3:52 p.m., Coast Guard Petty Officer Steve Strohmaier told The Herald in an interview.

In a statement from the Finkbonner family — read by Hillaire in a video on the Lummi Nation Communications Facebook page, — Finkbonner’s parents criticized the U.S. Coast Guard’s response time.

“We cannot stay silent about the circumstances surrounding his passing,” the statement reads. “It is deeply troubling that when tragedy struck, quick and effective response was not there. Kevin was only a mile and half from Point Roberts Harbor, not 20 miles away, yet help did not arrive in time. Both our sons were in the water for over an hour before rescue reached them. In moments like these, every second matters, and the delay in response is something our community must confront.”

After receiving the distress call, the U.S. Coast Guard contacted the Canadian Coast Guard and sent out an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast (UMIB) via radio to all mariners in the area, Stohmaier said.

In an Aug. 20 news release, Strohmaier said the location of the incident meant that even though units were launched from Air Station Port Angeles and Station Bellingham, the Canadian Coast Guard and good Samaritans were first on the scene, with a Canadian search and rescue vessel arriving in the area around 4:18 p.m.

“We want to sincerely thank the Canadian Coast Guard for being the first to respond. … Their quick action in a moment of crisis will not be forgotten,” the Finkbonner family said in their statement.

Strohmaier did not provide an exact time for the U.S. Coast Guard’s arrival on scene.

Finkbonner’s brother was found by a good Samaritan vessel around 4:38 p.m. He was wearing a life jacket and was pulled from the water in good condition, according to the news release from Strohmaier, who told The Herald in an interview that the good Samaritan learned of the sinking vessel through the UMIB.

Several minutes later, Finkbonner was located by the good Samaritan. He was unconscious and was not wearing a life jacket, according to the release. He was soon recovered by the Canadian Coast Guard, and life-saving measures were attempted. He was taken to Emergency Medical Services in Blaine, where medical professionals declared him deceased, according to the release.

“This is a tough time for all of us,” Hillaire said in his own statement after reading from the Finkbonners’ statement in the video. “As we have lost one of our very own. … This tragic loss reminds us how precious life is. It reminds us of all the previous losses we have suffered, and it reminds us of our need for each other. We must come together to share the true values of our people for our dear family, for each other, for our elders, for our children and grandchildren. Our hands go up to all those who responded to the incident the other day, and our sincere condolences are with the family. We love you very much and we are always here for you.”

“The U.S. Coast Guard is engaging with Lummi Tribal leadership to discuss their concerns with the U.S. Coast Guard’s response,” Strohmaier said in the release.

Stohmaier told The Herald that the Coast Guard did not have a public statement in response to the Finkbonner family’s criticism of the response time.

“This rescue highlights the importance of our Canadian partners and good Samaritans out on the water willing to offer their assistance in an emergency,” Capt. Michael Hunt, search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Puget Sound, said in a release from the Coast Guard. “Conditions on the water can change rapidly, and someone in the right place at the right time can make all the difference.”