Crew member found dead, man still missing after fishing boat sinks off Oregon coast

A crew member was found dead after a fishing boat sank off the Oregon coast, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

Mike Morgan, the 68-year-old master of the fishing boat, sent the Coast Guard a mayday call at about midnight Friday, March 25, officials said. The boat was sinking in Heceta Banks, a rocky fishing ground off the Oregon coast.

“A Motor Lifeboat crew from Station Siuslaw River arrived on scene shortly after the initial distress call and located a debris field,” the Coast Guard said in a news release. “The Coast Guard recovered an unresponsive female victim early Saturday morning, later discovered to be a crew member aboard the White Swan III.”

The woman was pronounced dead by emergency crews on Saturday, March 26, according to the Coast Guard.

Crews continued to look for Morgan as he remained missing. The Coast Guard sent multiple aircraft and lifeboat stations to scour the area.

Rescuers searched more than 200 square miles over a 24-hour period, according to the Coast Guard. On Sunday, March 27, the Coast Guard suspended the search for the boat master.

“The decision to suspend an active search and rescue case is never easy, and it’s only made after careful consideration of myriad factors,” Scott Giard, Coast Guard search and rescue program manager, said in the news release “Our thoughts and condolences are with the families throughout this unimaginably challenging time.”

This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Crew member found dead, man still missing after fishing boat sinks off Oregon coast."