Boat Capsizes In Waters Featured On Deadliest Catch, Killing All Crew Members On Board

Three fishermen are reported to have died after a crab boat capsized off the coast of Oregon, US.

The US Coast Guard said the 42-foot-vessel was crossing the Yaquina Bay bar in 14 foot waves on Tuesday night when the boat capsized.

Two of the three crew members were recovered from the Mary Bay II, but were unresponsive and later died in hospital, while the third died trapped in the boat, according to local reports.

Oregon State Police said they were alerted about the ship capsizing at 10.13pm and coastguard helicopter first found James Lacey, 48, in the waters of the Pacific Ocean. He was pronounced dead at Pacific Communities Hospital.

At 12.28am, Newport Fire Department found Joshua Porter, 50, dead on a beach near Nye Beach.

The skipper, Stephen Biernacki, 50, was found in the boat and pronounced dead at the scene.

Petty Officer Levi Reed told Komo News: "The Coast Guard was on scene quickly, even as it happened as vessel's crew had asked for escort across the bar, so we were there very quickly.

"Unfortunately, we were not able to recover them. The Yaquina Bay bar is a dangerous bar, as are all of the river bars in the Pacific Northwest.

"We did everything we could. Unfortunately, it was just a tragedy outcome and our hearts and thoughts are with the family and friends of the crew."

In a press release promoting the show, the Discovery channel reference how 'notoriously violent' the waters are where the sink capsized.

It reads: "Newport, Oregon is one of the last remaining fishing towns along the edge of the notoriously violent 'Graveyard of the Pacific' that stretches from Oregon to British Columbia.

"Here, generations of Dungeness crab fishermen and their families sacrifice everything that they have, including life itself, to carve an existence from the sea.

"Thousands of vessels and lives have been lost while battling the seas in what's considered the deadliest commercial fishery in the world."

Topics: World News, TV and Film

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey