February 12, 2026 2:50 a.m. 

On Wednesday, Congresswoman Val Hoyle and Senator Jeff Merkley led a letter with Senator Ron Wyden to the U.S. Coast Guard, requesting they conduct an updated assessment of Gold Beach and Bandon’s Search and Rescue Detachment Team existing stations rescue and safety needs along the coast.

A joint release said in their letter to Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Kevin Lunday, the lawmakers shared, “we have heard from our constituents, fishermen and local officials that the current level of coverage is simply not enough to keep people safe”.

Lawmakers said in Gold Beach, the mouth of the Rogue River is often dangerous to cross, even to highly skilled boaters. Due to shifting conditions in the channel, the river bar has sudden and highly dangerous wave breaks. Sixty miles north of Bandon, over 23,000 boaters have to pass through a dangerous bar with unpredictable conditions. Emergencies are common along these points of the coast and local ports, and captains are taking on the USCG’s responsibilities to warn the community of changing conditions and carry out rescues themselves.

Hoyle said, “The ocean of the Oregon’s south coast is both beautiful and powerful. It is essential for the communities of Bandon and Gold Beach to have a Coast Guard presence again”.

The release said the lawmakers believe the conditions have significantly worsened since the Coast Guard pulled their seasonal presence in Gold Beach and Bandon. There has been an increase in on-water traffic and an increase in emergencies. At the same time, the Coast Guard recruiting numbers have improved, allowing for the possibility of increased bandwidth along the coast.