NEWPORT, ORE. — The U.S. Coast Guard will conduct next month a formal public hearing into the Jan. 8 capsizing of a fishing boat that killed a Joyce man and two other crab fishermen near Newport, Ore.
Joshua Porter of Joyce, 50, died after the 42-foot Mary B II capsized while crossing the Yaquina Bay bar.
Also on board the Mary B 11 were Capt. Stephen Biernacki, 50, and James Lacy, 48, both of New Jersey.
The Coast Guard’s public hearing beginning May 13, 2019 at the Newport, Ore., City Hall to consider evidence related to the Mary B II marine casualty investigation. Newport’s City Hall is 169 SW Coast Highway, Newport, OR 97365.
The hearing also will be streamed live each day at: livestream.com/accounts/17374493/events/8625145.
The Coast Guard has established an e-mail address for the public and interested parties to provide information, ask questions and make comments related to the ongoing investigation and scheduled hearing.
This email will be checked regularly and all correspondence will be acknowledged, the Coast Guard said in a press release.
The email is MaryBII.uscg@gmail.com.
Throughout the investigation the Coast Guard also will continue to monitor email sent to accidentinfo@uscg.mil and all information sent to that address will be reviewed and a response will be given.
Coast Guard officials said waves were between 14 and 16 feet near Newport on the night of Jan. 8 with occasional waves cresting to 20 feet.
A Coast Guard life boat crew was escorting the slow-moving fishing boat into the treacherous bar before the Mary B II drifted toward the north jetty and capsized without warning at 10:08 p.m.
The Coast Guard crew immediately began searching for the fishermen and called for another rescue boat and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter from the Newport station, officials said after the incident.
The bodies of Porter and Lacy were found a short time later on the beach north of Yaquina Bay.
Biernacki’s body was recovered from the detached pilot house the next morning.
Porter’s family set up a GoFundMe account to offset the funeral costs and help his wife, Denise, with other expenses.
A gofundme page set up at www.gofundme.com/ oregon-fisherman-josh- porter-memorial-fund to help Porter’s wife, Denise, with funeral costs and other expenses, raised $15,150 of a $15,000 goal.
Additional information about the hearing — including the schedule of witnesses, fact sheets and biographies— is expected to be posted at tinyurl.com/PDN-MaryBiihearing.
