By Lincoln Chronicle
NEWPORT – A fishing boat captain from Newport is missing at the entrance to Grays Harbor in southwest Washington and the Coast Guard has called off its search for him after his 68-foot vessel sank quickly Friday.
The Coast Guard was able to rescue three crew members from the water.
Missing is Jon Stevenson, 44, of Newport, who was piloting the F/V Captain Raleigh into harbor when he issued a distress call about 8:15 a.m. saying the boat was taking on water and its pumps could not keep up, according to a news release from the Coast Guard’s office in Seattle. Shortly after the distress call, the Coast Guard said another vessel pulled alongside the Captain Raleigh to provide a pump.
The Coast Guard said in its news release that a rescue crew from its Grays Harbor station got to the Captain Raleigh about 8:30 a.m., but that the vessel “quickly sank.”
Three Captain Raleigh crew members in lifejackets jumped into the water and were quickly picked up by rescuers, the Coast Guard said. But Stevenson was still aboard the vessel when she sank near the Grays Harbor bar entrance, the Coast Guard said.
Stevenson is a longtime Newport-based fishing boat captain and his wife, Jennifer, is past president of the Newport Fishermen’s Wives. They have three children. In 2022 Jennifer Stevenson wrote in the National Fisherman publication about her experience growing up in a fishing family and then returning to it after years away.
The Fishermen’s Wives held a vigil for the family Saturday evening in Newport and has started a GoFundMe campaign for the family. There was also one at the Warrenton harbor.
On Friday, the Coast Guard said two additional boat crews from Grays Harbor and a Coast Guard helicopter from Astoria also participated in the search for Stevenson. A U.S. Navy helicopter from Whidbey Island flew a Navy dive team to Grays Harbor and were taken to the scene by the Coast Guard. A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge went to the area to help locate the Captain Raleigh and pinpointed its location by 11:45 a.m., the Coast Guard said.
But strong currents prevented the dive team from getting to the wreck site until about 6 p.m. Friday, the Coast Guard said, and then debris, poor visibility, and strong currents prevented the divers from getting inside the vessel.
“This is a tragedy for our fishing communities,” said Capt. Justin Noggle, commander of Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. “I’m thankful our Coast Guard crews were able to save the three crew members quickly, and our hearts are with the family and friends of everyone impacted by this tremendous loss.”
The Captain Raleigh is in 40 feet of water outside of the navigable channel, the Coast Guard said, and a commercial salvage team from Seattle is in Grays Harbor developing a salvage plan.
The Captain Raleigh is a crab and shrimp vessel based in Warrenton.
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