BAY CENTER — On Tuesday, loved ones and neighbors kept looking for deckhand Bryson Fitch, missing from the sunken Bay Center fishing vessel Ethel May since about 7:26 p.m. Sunday.

The U.S. Coast Guard called off the official search at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 6 after nearly a day of emotionally grueling but fruitless efforts around the mouth of Willapa Bay, where the crab boat sank. The search included 18 different search patterns over 290 square miles. Private fishing vessels also assisted in the operation.

Crews from U.S. Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor and Air Station Astoria responded to the sinking after an emergency beacon was activated and the wife of one of the men called 911 to report an emergency onboard. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from the air station was able to rescue two crewmen from a life raft at about 8:10 p.m.

One of two who survived has been identified as Capt. Doug Will. The other survivor’s name has not been released. Both were transferred to the hospital for evaluation of possible hypothermia.

“Suspending search efforts is a tough decision that we never take lightly,” said Lt. Cmdr. Colin Fogarty, the search and rescue mission coordinator for the Coast Guard Sector Columbia River. “This search involved close coordination between state and local agencies. We truly appreciate their assistance, especially from Pacific County. The Coast Guard continues to speak with the family affected by this incident.”

It’s unclear what caused the boat to sink so quickly. Early reports are that strong waves and currents were battering the vessel. At the time of the incident, waves across the Willapa bar were reportedly double-deckers.

Search crews located debris from the vessel within Willapa Bay and the abutting waters of the Pacific, indicating the vessel broke apart. A new pilot house bridge belonging to the vessel later washed into the surf zone Monday.

Loss hits hard

Family of the missing man, along with friends and good Samaritans, combed beaches the entire day and used binoculars to scour the surf and sea for any signs of him.

At the height of the official search, the USCG was assisted by the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State Parks, and volunteers. Dozens volunteered their time.

Fitch’s story has been circling as his tragic last moments made their way through local communities, with many shedding tears and left in disbelief. Fitch was a well-known local and is survived by his wife, Kenzie, and children Ryder, 6, Paisley, 4, and Capri, four months. He was his family’s sole provider.

“Return to thee, we pray to thee, all those in peril on the sea,” Pamela Lund said on Facebook.

Fitch’s family plans to continue searching the beaches until he is found. His sister, Kelsea Broddy, is asking that anyone willing to volunteer their time help by combing local shorelines for any sign of her missing brother.

As of noon Tuesday, a GoFundMe account set up to aid Fitch’s survivors had raised $6,580.

Ethel May memories

The boat’s former owner, Louis Summers, of Westport, visited the eerie remains of the vessel on the shoreline in Tokeland, where the pilot house washed ashore. He and his family made the mile-long trek down the coastline for one final glimpse.

Summers ran the Ethel May for just shy of 40 years out of Westport, including countless crabbing seasons and summer salmon fishing trips. The boat was well known in the Washington Dungeness crabbing industry.

“[My dad] owned and skippered the F/V Ethel May for over three decades before selling his legacy at the end of 2021,” his daughter Jackie Summers said. “The Ethel May supported the livelihood of my family since before I was born. For fishing families, we are born and raised with a deep love, appreciation, and respect for the ocean.

“For multi-generational fishing families, hearing about the loss of a long-time boat that shaped my upbringing is similar to losing a beloved childhood home. For us, the fishing industry is a way of life. Fishermen and their families understand the sacrifice and risks of providing for their families, and each day my dad came home, my siblings and I would let out a sigh of relief for his safety.”

The Summers also conveyed their condolences to Fitch’s family.

“Days like today are incredibly devastating for our entire community. [Our] family would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family of the missing crewman and pray he is found safe,” they said.

The Ethel May was built in South Bend in 1948 and was primarily docked out of Westport during its 75-year career.