Tag Archives: F/V Kelli J
Coast Guard confirms fisherman found by divers inside vessel in Willapa Bay
Coast Guard personnel confirm the missing fisherman was found by divers inside the sunken vessel, the Kelli J, prior to it being refloated by contractors in Willapa Bay, Friday. Pacific County Sheriff’s Office personnel transported the fisherman to a local funeral home that evening. The vessel is being taken to the Nachotta marina with the owner’s insurance company coordinating the remaining salvage efforts. The Kelli J was originally reported missing on Saturday, May 19, which sparked search and rescue efforts that extended into Monday when the search was suspended. Multiple efforts were conducted to attempt to locate the missing vessel that resulted in the vessel being found submerged within Willapa Bay on Wednesday. >link<-USCG-
Coast Guard monitors efforts to confirm location of sunken vessel in Willapa Bay
Coast Guard personnel continue to monitor the response to the report of the overdue fishing vessel Kelli J after a boat crew contracted through the vessel owner’s insurance company located a large unknown object in the area of a previously sighted pollution and debris in the water of Willapa Bay, Tuesday. Global Diving and Salvage personnel have been contracted by the insurance company to dive on and identify the object Wednesday, and assess what actions can be taken for potential salvage. Around 3:35 p.m. on Saturday, watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a report that the operator of the Kelli J was overdue from a fishing trip. The report came from the vessel operator’s wife, who stated he was due to return at 12:30 p.m. that day and confirmed his vehicle was still at a Nahcotta marina with no vessel in sight. >click to read<23:39
43-foot vessel missing in Willapa Bay with one aboard; search suspended Sunday
At 12:33 p.m. Sunday the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for a Long Beach Peninsula man whose commercial crabbing vessel sank Saturday in Willapa Bay. “All searches for mariner yielded negative results,” the Coast Guard said on its Twitter feed. “Search has been suspended and efforts are switching to vessel salvage/fuel recovery.” Coast Guard crews responded Sunday morning to a diesel-oil sheen and debris field in Willapa Bay after searching throughout the night for the 43-foot vessel Kelli J and its local skipper, Kevin Soule, who is believed to have been pulling crab pots at the time of the accident. Port of Peninsula Manager Jay Personius confirmed Sunday afternoon that Soule was at the helm Sunday and is thought to have been the only person on board. >click to read<20:39
