How 60 Minutes reports from the “Graveyard of the Pacific”

This week on 60 Minutes, correspondent Bill Whitaker reported on surfersan elite unit of the US Coast Guard.

These men and women with nerves of steel train in a dangerous bay off the coast of Washington and Oregon that has earned the ominous nickname: “The Graveyard of the Pacific” — and for good reason.

This is where the wide, fast-moving Columbia River meets the waves that travel across the Pacific Ocean, all the way from Asia. Chaotic surf has wrecked thousands of ships and sailboats over the centuries.

Certified surfers are expected to perform daring rescue missions in such waters, where waves can reach 20 feet and winds reach 50 knots.

Whitaker and the 60 Minutes crew wanted to climb aboard the 47-foot lifeboat to see how these surfers train for one of the Coast Guard’s toughest jobs.

But before climbing aboard, the team needed to test the dry suit, a waterproof suit that preserves body heat and prevents hypothermia if the wearer falls into cold water.

On a cold February morning, Whitaker tested his suit for leaks. Accompanied by two Coast Guard officers, he plunged into the icy waters of the Columbia River for 15 minutes.

“I had no protection on my hands. And let me tell you, my hands were freezing. But the dry suit kept my body relatively warm,” Whitaker told 60 Minutes Overtime.

Whitaker and the crew received a safety briefing before heading to the lifeboat. They were told to prepare for the possibility of a “capsize,” when a wave crashes into the boat and turns it 360 degrees on its axis.

Driving the lifeboat to the entrance, Senior Instructor Eric Selley explained how the boat’s design prevents it from sinking in the event of a capsize.

A large buoyancy chamber and other air-filled compartments allow the boat to rise when turned upside down.

“Imagine putting a soccer ball in the bathtub … you push it down and the laces always come up,” Seeley said.

“So when that boat goes under the water … it’s going to make a sharp crossing to where we can prepare for the next wave.”

Whitaker told 60 Minutes Overtime that he and photographer Dennis Dillon had to be secured by two points of contact to prevent them from being thrown into the sea during the capsize. They were told they would have to hold their breath until the boat was righted.

“The whole flip usually takes eight to 12 seconds…we’d have to hold our breath for that long,” Whitaker recalls.

“We would be wet and suffocating, but we would be safe.”

In the breaking waves, Sillay and other surfers in training shouted when they saw a wave coming towards them.

Selly accelerated and steered the boat to maneuver or even crash through the waves coming in from all directions.

One technique called “leveling” involved pointing the bow of the ship at the crest of a large breaking wave and accelerating over it.

“Eventually you get on top of that wave… you look up and all you see is the sky,” Whitaker explained.

“Once you get over the crest of a wave… you’re looking straight out into the water. And you just get pushed and pushed. And it really is the most incredible roller coaster you can imagine.”

Whitaker wondered how Silly could be so calm in such a chaotic environment and asked if he liked it.

“If you’ll let me take … (a) lifeboat into the surf, I’ll be in the best mood at once,” he told Whitaker.

“Full of endorphins. Happy as can be. All my problems disappear… I really like it.”

The video above was shot by Will Croxton. It was edited by Sarah Shafer Prediger.