Maritime Injury Law BlogCoast Guard Suspends Search for Missing Fisherman
The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Wednesday afternoon for prominent West Coast fisherman Joel William Kawahara, recipient of the 2009 National Fishermen’s Highliner of the Year Award. Mr. Kawahara disappeared while fishing alone off the coasts of Oregon and Washington. The extensive search covered more than 2,100 square miles of ocean before being called off.
Mr. Kawahara, known throughout the West Coast for his work on the Pacific Fisheries Management Council, the North Olympic Salmon Coalition, and Save Our Wild Salmon, was last heard from at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, August 8, 2025, while aboard the F/V KAROLEE. He had departed alone the week prior for what appeared to be a routine fishing trip.
For several days following the last contact, the F/V KAROLEE continued traveling a constant southerly course at approximately 4 mph. Fellow fishermen spotted the vessel near the Columbia River bar and attempted to hail it by radio, receiving no response.
By Sunday, August 10th, 2025, after a weekend with no communication, family and friends became concerned. They had been tracking the vessel’s location via AIS and wondering why the F/V KAROLEE was heading south while maintaining a steady 4 mph speed for four days. A friend contacted the U.S. Coast Guard station at Quillayute River.
Word of Mr. Kawahara’s disappearance spread quickly to fleet members and fishery stakeholders from Southeast Alaska to California, reflecting his prominence in the West Coast fishing community through his advocacy work on sustainable salmon management.
On Tuesday, August 13th, 2025, an official search began as U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders made numerous attempts to contact the vessel and requested other mariners do the same, but no response was ever received.
A U.S. Coast Guard C-27 fixed-wing aircraft crew from Air Station Sacramento located the vessel and attempted to make contact. During their visual inspection, the aircrew observed that “the vessel was rigged for fishing, lights were energized, and a life raft was observed in its cradle,” according to a report. The crew flew over the vessel’s previous course but found no signs of distress before returning to Sacramento.
U.S. Coast Guard watchstanders at the Northwest District command center then launched a comprehensive search operation, dispatching:
- An MH-60 helicopter from Air Station Astoria
- U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Douglas Denman
- A boat crew from U.S. Coast Guard Station Neah Bay
The search expanded significantly as multiple assets worked through Tuesday evening and into Wednesday August 14th, 2025, when the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter SEA LION, intercepted the F/V KAROLEE and conducted a boarding. The crew confirmed that no one was aboard the vessel and noted that all safety equipment remained on board. With no additional reports of distress or responses to ongoing callouts, the U.S. Coast Guard officially suspended the search operation after more than 18 hours of active searching.
After the search was suspended, the F/V KAROLEE was towed to Eureka, California. Upon arrival, the vessel was turned over to U.S. Coast Guard Station Humboldt Bay personnel and is currently moored in Eureka.
This case highlights the dangers faced by solo fishermen and the importance of regular communication check-ins during extended fishing trips. The U.S. Coast Guard continues to encourage all mariners to file float plans and maintain regular contact with shore-based contacts during their voyages.
“Suspending a search for someone is the toughest decision we make in the Coast Guard” said Cmdr. Chelsey Stroud, search and rescue mission coordinator for the U.S. Coast Guard’s Northwest District. “Our crews diligently search hundreds of miles. We are grateful for the numerous Coast Guard crews along the West Coast who assisted in this search. We send our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of the missing man.”