US Coast Guard Halts Search for Missing Fisherman Off Central Oregon Coast

Published 08/11/25 at 7:45 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Newport, Oregon) - The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Monday morning for a missing fisherman whose vessel capsized near the Yaquina Bay Jetty over the weekend. (Ships off Newport / Oregon Coast Beach Connection file photo)

The search off central Oregon coast waters was called off at 10:15 a.m. after rescue crews spent more than eight hours scouring 54 square miles of ocean under challenging conditions, including 7-foot swells and winds reaching 13 knots.

The incident began around 4 p.m. Sunday, when Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a distress report involving the 40-foot commercial fishing vessel Das Bug. The vessel, carrying four people, was transiting inbound through the Yaquina Bay Jetty when it reportedly took on water and overturned.

Three of the four individuals onboard were pulled from the water by a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Coast Guard Station Yaquina Bay. All three survivors were transported to Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital and treated for hypothermia.

Search efforts for the fourth individual continued into the night, involving multiple Coast Guard assets including lifeboat crews and an MH-65 Dolphin helicopter team from Air Station North Bend. A first-light aerial search Monday morning yielded no signs of the missing fisherman.

Search grid made by USCG

“Suspending a search without finding the person you have been looking for is always one of the most difficult decisions we have to make,” said Lt. Cmdr. Jacqueline Hunnicutt, search and rescue mission coordinator for Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. “Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.” See LIVE NEWPORT WEATHER, WATER TEMPS

The Coast Guard has not released the name of the missing individual.

Photo from last week's USCG rescue

It's been a busy week around the central Oregon coast, with USCG personnel answering other calls for help in the nearby ocean. Last week, one call included crews from agencies around Oregon and California.

Coast Guard Crews from Two States Rescue Disabled Vessel Off Oregon Coast - 97-foot vessel Defiant reported it was adrift off Newport

The 97-foot vessel Defiant reported it was adrift and in need of help early in the morning on Sunday, August 3. Responding to the call were California coast crews from the Coast Guard Cutter Alder and Air Station Sacramento, while from the Oregon coast came Air Station North Bend, and Station Yaquina Bay. The coordinated effort included two aircraft delivering essential supplies - fresh water, a radio, and a dewatering pump - by Sunday evening.

Due to the vessel’s remote location, watchstanders from the Coast Guard’s Southwest District directed the Alder to initiate a tow. The cutter reached the Defiant Tuesday morning and began towing it toward shore, covering roughly 80 miles. On Wednesday, about 15 miles from Newport, the tow was transferred to a 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew from Station Yaquina Bay, which safely brought the vessel into port.

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