The United States Coast Guard has begun a search for a 75-year-old man after he was reported missing near Port Angeles on Thursday, June 17th.
Pat O’Brien was reported missing by his friend after he lost sight of the man’s fishing vessel near the Washington state shoreline in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
The two were fishing in separate boats on a trip from Freshwater Bay to Crescent Bay Buoy 2 and back to Freshwater Bay.
O’Brien’s friend last talked to him via cell phone at 3:26 p.m and 10 minutes later he saw him a half-mile west of the Crescent Bay Buoy 2 travelling west.
After this, the man said he lost sight of his friend.
The man reported that O’Brien’s main engine on the 14-foot skiff boat was not working earlier in the day and that he had been using his kicker engine to maneuver.
The 13th Coast Guard District command center was notified at 6:40 p.m. of the missing vessel and an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Port Angeles, and a small boat crew were directed to respond.
O’Brien’s daughter took social media seeking help finding her dad and said his truck and trailer were still in the same spot he left it.
Coast Guard crews and participating agencies coordinated search operations, including the Canadian Coast Guard Ship Vector, as well as Naval Station Whidbey Island helicopter crews.
According to the report, O’Brien had no reported medical problems and most likely had food and water on board, as well as life jackets, but no VHF radios on board.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of O’Brien or his boat is asked to contact the U.S. Coast Guard’s Puget Sound office at 206-217-6001.
