A kayaker is safe after falling into the chilly mouth of the Columbia River at Hammond, a small town near Warrenton, on Sunday.

According to a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard, the man was paddling toward the river amid heavy rain when he struck pilings and fell out of his kayak. Because the pilings blocked access to the man, the Coast Guard, responding to a 911 call about the man, used a helicopter to rescue him.

The crew used a MH-60 Jayhawk to lift the man from the piling and ferry him to shore, where he was met by local emergency medical services and released on site.

In the statement, Mark Dobney, who coordinates search and rescue operations for the Coast Guard, warned others of the cold water temperatures.

"The water temperatures in this area hover around 50 degrees year round, and while this man was wearing a proper flotation device, he was not properly dressed for the water," he said. "Had it not been our rescue services quick response time, the situation for this kayaker would have quickly become dire."

-- Anna Marum

amarum@oregonian.com

503-294-5911

@annamarum