Westport fisherman found alive near BC after almost two weeks missing

One of the two crew members of a missing fishing boat scheduled to return to Westport nearly two weeks ago was found alive in a life raft Thursday morning by a “good Samaritan” vessel.

After the orange conical life raft and its occupant were found floating 70 miles Northwest of Cape Flattery, southwest of Vancouver Island, the rescued man was transported to shore by the Canadian Coast Guard and is in stable condition, according to a social media post from the U.S. Coast Guard Northwest.

The second crew member of the 43-foot fishing vessel Evening remains missing as of Friday morning.

The life raft was found two days after the Coast Guard suspended its own search for the missing crew on Oct. 24. For more than eight hours, two helicopters glassed 14,000 square miles spanning from southwest Vancouver Island, west of the town of Ucluelet, British Columbia, to Newport, Oregon,

That search began Oct. 22 when a family member of the crew reported the vessel overdue for its return to Westport. The boat left Grays Harbor Oct. 12 and was scheduled to return Oct. 15.

The Coast Guard search remains suspended pending the development of any new information, said U.S. Coast Guard public affairs specialist Petty Officer 1st Class Travis Magee.

“The cause of the incident resulting in the missing vessel and the individual being found aboard the life raft is currently under investigation,” Magee said.

Magee said the incident highlights the importance of having proper safety gear aboard, including life jackets, flares, and immersion suits.

“A life raft can greatly increase your chances of survival,” he said.