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NEWPORT -- The Newport activists working to save this coastal town's rescue-helicopter station say the wreck of the Blazer crabbing boat presents a strong case against the U.S. Coast Guard's plan to close the post.

The helicopter was dispatched before dawn on Saturday to rescue the boat's five-person crew as the vessel sunk near Siletz Bay. If the helicopter hadn't been available, members of the Newport Fishermen's Wives argue, men might not have arrived home safely.

"If we lose this helicopter, it's going to be search and retrieval instead of search and rescue," said Sara Skamser, past president of the Fishermen's Wives. "They'll get there too late."

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