2 Ocean County Fishermen Die As Crab Boat Capsizes In Oregon

Two Ocean County men were among three fishermen who died Tuesday night when their boat capsized in a bay off Newport, Oregon.

The men – one from South Toms River and one from Barnegat, along with an Oregon man – were near the Yaquina Bay bar off Newport when their ship was likely rolled by high seas, authorities said.

James Lacey, 48, of South Toms River, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital. Stephen Biernacki, 50, of Barnegat Light, was found with the boat and pronounced dead there, Coast Guard officials said. Josh Porter, 50, from Toledo, Oregon, also died in the accident.

Biernacki was the captain of the Mary B II, a 42-foot wooden commercial fishing boat that targeted Dungeness crab, the National Fisherman reported. The Newport crab fleet drew the attention of the producers of the popular show "Deadliest Catch" and led to a spin-off, "Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove," based on the dangers of crossing the bar during the Pacific crab season, the publication said.

Lacey and Biernacki were longtime friends, according to their Facebook profiles, and longtime fishermen in Barnegat Light. Lacey was a graduate of Southern Regional High School in Manahawkin. Biernacki's profile said he had been a commercial fisherman since 1984, jokingly listing his college as "Hudson Canyon University," a reference to the underwater canyon 100 miles or so east of the Jersey Shore. Biernacki had just joined the Newport fleet in November, according to his Facebook account.

In Oregon, the Newport Fishermen's Wives organization was collecting donations to help the families of the three men. You can mail your donation to Newport Fishermen’s Wives, PO Box 971, Newport, OR 97365 or go to their website and click on the donate button http://www.newportfishermenswives.com/order.

The Coast Guard had been notified around 10 p.m. that a boat needed help crossing the bar because of the rough waters. Within about 15 minutes, the Coast Guard was notified by Oregon State Police that the Mary B II had capsized with three on board.

In addition to the ship that was already on its way to help, the Coast Guard also dispatched a helicopter to assist in the search for the men.

That crew quickly found Lacey in the ocean. They rushed him to Pacific Communities Hospital in Newport, where he was pronounced dead. Around 12:30 a.m., Newport firefighters found Porter near the shore. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The Mary B II later ran aground on the north side of the Yaquina Bay North Jetty.

With reporting by Colin Miner, Patch National Staff

Photo of a Coast Guard ship responding to the capsizing of the Mary B II via Oregon State Police.