Deadliest Catch producers pay tribute to fishermen killed after boat capsized in Oregon

One of the men aboard the vessel is said to have believed his crew to be 'inexperienced'

A boat has capsized, killing three fishermen in Newport, Oregon.

The Marty B II was reported to have featured on Deadliest Catch: Dungeon Cove – but a spokesperson for the series has now told The New York Post the vessel never appeared.

The three men killed have been identified as Joshua Porter, 50, James Lacy, 48 and Stephen Biernacki, 50.

Discovery Channel, the network behind Deadliest Catch, paid tribute to the victims, telling Yahoo: “We feel deeply saddened by the news, as we feel part of the crabbing community. Our thoughts and prayers go out to their families and the entire community during this difficult time.”

A friend of Porter told local news he had planned for the voyage to be his last on this particular boat because he found the crew to be “inexperienced”.

“Those were his words,” Celeste Paranto told The Oregonian. “It’s very sad. Because he was a responsible person. He went out on the trip and never returned home. I’m really having a hard time with it.”

Oregon State Police said that the incident occurred after the fishermen asked the US Coast Guard (USCG) to assist them in crossing the Yaquina Bay bar shortly before 10 pm because of “high seas”.

Shortly after, authorities discovered the boat “had capsized with three people onboard”. The fatal incident was witnessed by a Coast Guard crew who reportedly carried out a search and rescue mission.

According to the USCG Pacific Northwest’s Twitter page, they were “battling 12 to 14-foot” waves.

Lacy was pronounced dead at a hospital in Newport with Porter’s body later found on the beach. Biernacki was found washed up with the boat where he was “pronounced deceased at the scene”.