WA WA - Fishing boat skipper & 3 crew lost at sea, Leadbetter Point, 10 March 2012

[wfgodot]

4 fishermen missing after debris spotted off Washington (AP)

ASTORIA, Ore. (AP) -- Authorities searched Saturday for four fishermen after crews found a debris field and an oil sheen several miles off the Washington coast.

The emergency beacon from an Oregon-based fishing boat led rescuers to the debris field and a damaged lifeboat, the Coast Guard said.

The distress signal came early Saturday from the 62-foot fishing vessel Lady Cecelia, which has a home port in Warrenton, Ore. and is registered to Dale Kent of Bay City, Ore. He could not be reached Saturday by The Associated Press, but the ship's owner told the Guard that four people had been aboard.

"The life raft was in no condition to be used," said Coast Guard Petty Officer Shawn Eggert. "There was a lot of debris, a sheen and the (beacon)."

a bit more at AP link above

 

[Steely Dan]

4 fishermen missing after debris spotted off Washington (AP)

a bit more at AP link above

I wonder what happened that made the lifeboat get so damaged?

 

[Nova]

I wonder what happened that made the lifeboat get so damaged?

Doesn't the debris field and oil slick suggest an explosion of some sort? (I don't claim to be an expert on boats.)

 

[Elphaba]

Bless their souls... being a fisherman is considered the most dangerous job in the US. When a FV boat goes goes down, it goes quickly...

 

[Steely Dan]

Doesn't the debris field and oil slick suggest an explosion of some sort? (I don't claim to be an expert on boats.)

That does make a lot of sense.

 

[Elphaba]

People are running on 2 theories: rogue wave or hit by a passing cargo ship. One of the men was considering leaving the industry and had second thoughts about going out this time.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/Fishermans-last-message-He-told-me-he-loved-me-142462085.html

 

[madamx]

Has there ever been any updates on this or any of the men?

 

[sasha17]

"Missing are skipper Dave Nichols, 42, of Warrenton, deckhand Jason Bjaranson, 39, also of Warrenton, deckhand Luke Jensen, 22, of Ilwaco, Wash., and NOAA Fisheries Service observer Chris Langel, 25, of Kaukauna, Wis."

Fishing boat sank too fast for distress call

 

[sasha17]

Charley Project page: Jason Bjaranson - Jason Edward Bjaranson – The Charley Project

From the above link: "Photographs and vital statistics for Jensen, Nicholas and Langel are unavailable."

Jason's Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jason.bjaranson
NAMUS - The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)