After more than 30 years of helping to keep boaters safe, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary’s Flotilla 64 in Astoria has disbanded because of declining membership.

Vice Flotilla Cmdr. Corey Deck said that in the past couple of months, membership dipped as low as five, as people moved on, died and transferred to other flotillas.

“We took a vote and said, ‘Why don’t we just close the doors,’” he said.

Flotilla 64, one of several on the Lower Columbia River, was primarily focused on supporting the Coast Guard’s missions and encouraging boater safety. The group’s primary presence was meeting boaters in the Buoy 10 salmon fishery before they launched, performing voluntary vessel inspections and making sure fishers had all the necessary safety equipment. Deck said auxiliarists from other flotillas will still travel to the Lower Columbia for the event.

Based at the Coast Guard’s Aids to Navigation Team at North Tongue Point, Flotilla 64 also helped create day boards, which help boaters navigate off-channel areas of the Columbia. Deck said he and another volunteer will continue making the navigational aids.

Flotilla 62, created in 1999, is still based out of the Coast Guard’s Station Cape Disappointment in Washington state.

Part of the issue, Deck said, is that the auxiliary largely pays for its own operations. Many of the volunteers are older than 55, he said, and looking to retire, spend more time with their families or join flotillas closer to home.

“The best way to drum up volunteers right now would be to involve younger people,” Deck said. “We need younger people who are willing to make the commitment to come out and participate.”