Captain Goes Missing After Fishing Vessel Sinks Off Westport

The U.S. Coast Guard called off its search on Friday night (May 9) for a 44-year-old captain who went missing after a fishing vessel sank off the coast of Washington earlier that morning.

The vessel, identified as the Captain Raleigh, was a 68-foot commercial fishing boat that capsized near the entrance to Grays Harbor, close to Westport, Washington.

The incident happened shortly after the captain made a distress call at around 8:15 a.m., reporting that the boat was taking on water rapidly and the pumps onboard were not able to keep up with the flooding.

Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received the emergency message and immediately sent out an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast, asking nearby vessels to assist.

Rescue boats were deployed from Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor, and a helicopter search and rescue team was launched from Coast Guard Air Station Astoria in Oregon.

A good Samaritan vessel reached the Captain Raleigh within minutes of the distress call and provided a portable pump to help remove water. By around 8:30 a.m., a Coast Guard rescue crew also arrived on scene. But soon after, the Captain Raleigh sank quickly.

Three crew members who were already in lifejackets abandoned the vessel and entered the water. They were rescued immediately by the Coast Guard and brought back to the station, where they were checked by emergency medical services.

However, the captain was still aboard the vessel when it sank and did not resurface. His identity was later confirmed through fishing industry sources as Jon Stevenson, 44, a longtime fisherman from Newport, Oregon.

After the sinking, the Coast Guard expanded the search. Two more boat crews joined the mission, and the aircrew began search patterns around 9 a.m.

A dredging vessel from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers also diverted to the area to assist with sonar scanning and successfully located the wreck at 11:45 a.m.

The Coast Guard then requested help from a U.S. Navy dive team. A Navy helicopter transported the divers from Air Station Whidbey Island to Station Grays Harbor. From there, they were taken to the wreck site by boat.

Although the divers attempted to access the wreck around 6:00 p.m., they were unable to enter due to underwater debris, low visibility, and strong currents at the site.

At 8:40 p.m., the Coast Guard suspended the search for the missing captain. The vessel was confirmed to be resting in about 40 feet of water outside the main navigation channel.

A spokesperson from the Coast Guard described the incident as a painful loss for fishing communities in the region. They expressed gratitude that the three crew members were saved and extended condolences to those affected by the tragedy.

The Coast Guard is now working alongside the Washington Department of Ecology to monitor any environmental impact. As of now, no major pollution or shoreline damage has been reported.

A commercial salvage team from Seattle is already on site and is developing a plan to recover the sunken vessel.

Meanwhile, a support group called Newport Fishermen’s Wives has launched a fundraiser to support the family of Captain Jon Stevenson.

Reference: USCG

Source: Maritime Shipping News