SEATTLE — The Coast Guard has completed its investigation into the January 8, 2019, loss of the Commercial Fishing Vessel MARY B II on the Yaquina Bay Bar near Newport, Oregon. The Coast Guard convened a Board of Investigation. The Board of Investigation held one public hearing session the week of May 13-17, 2019, in Newport, Oregon. A copy of the Report of Investigation into this casualty can be obtained at the following link: Marine Casualty Reports (uscg.mil). Safety information on bar crossings and hazards can be found on the Coast Guard’s District 13 Waterways Management website. Waterways Management (uscg.mil). To schedule a Coast Guard Fishing Vessel Safety Dockside Exam, contact Sector Columbia River at 503-572-3516; email FVSPortland@uscg.mil, or Sector Puget Sound at 206-217-6208; email SecSeaDispatch@uscg.mil. From the report, “Cause of the Casualty – 6.1.1. The initiating event for this casualty occurred when the MARY B II deviated from the centerline of the entrance channel for Yaquina Bay Bar at approximately 10:04:30 p.m. and began a general movement towards the submerged end of the North Jetty in breaking surf and near gale conditions.” The report also noted, ” 6.1.1.3. Scientific evidence indicates that the impairing effects of methamphetamine, alcohol, and fatigue impact critical split-second decision-making and higher-level cognitive functions. The captain of the MARY B II had methamphetamine in his system while operating the vessel.” The vessel capsized and the three-member crew was lost. The three were identified as 50-year old Joshua Porter, Toledo; 48-year old James Lacy, South Toms River, NJ; and, 50-year old Skipper Stephen Biernacki, Township, NJ.
