PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The U.S. Coast Guard on Monday suspended its search for a crab fisherman who went missing Sunday night when a 46-foot crabbing boat sank near the Willapa Bay entrance in Southwest Washington.
The U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Astoria was alerted of the sinking vessel around 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Two of the three fishermen were found floating on a raft and were hoisted into a helicopter. Once the rescued men were back on land, they were evaluated for hypothermia.
The USCG and other state and local emergency response teams continued to look for the one fisherman that remained missing. After a 15-hour search that spanned 290 square miles of air, sea and land, the USCG announced it was ending its search.
“Suspending search efforts is a tough decision that we never take lightly,” said Lt. Cmdr. Colin Fogarty, the Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Columbia River.
The USCG said the missing fisherman’s family has been notified.