Boat sinks near Everett: 3 missing passengers presumed dead
May 23, 2025, 7:00 AM | Updated: 7:04 am
Multiple crews, including South County Fire, The Everett Fire Department, and the U.S. Coast Guard searches for passengers aboard a 26-foot boat that sank in Possession Sound near Everett Wednesday. (Photo courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard)
(Photo courtesy of the U.S. Coast Guard)
The three people still missing after a shrimping boat sank near Everett Wednesday are presumed dead, the U.S. Coast Guard reported.
The Everett Fire Department pivoted from a rescue mission to a recovery effort after a 26-foot boat sank in Possession Sound near Everett late Wednesday evening.
Four people were aboard the boat, and three are currently missing after the ship sank at approximately 1 p.m. Wednesday. One man in his 50s is the lone survivor, as of this reporting, after he was rescued by another boater, according to Natalie Given, the public information officer for the Everett Police Department.
“People were just out recreationally shrimping, and the person reported that the boat started taking on water,” Given told KIRO Newsradio. “But as to what specifically caused this, that’s still under investigation.”
Everett Fire, @EverettPolice, and U.S. Coast Guard are conducting a water rescue for a sinking boat in Possession Sound just off of Howarth Park -1127 Olympic. One person has been rescued, 3 people are outstanding. This is an active rescue. Updates will be provided as available. pic.twitter.com/0ncTP39V9D
— Everett Fire WA (@EverettFire) May 21, 2025
Who was aboard the shrimping boat?
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The one passenger who was rescued was taken to the hospital. He suffered no injuries, as of this reporting. Those missing are described as a man in his 60s, another man in his 20s, and a woman in her 40s. The woman in her 40s, the man in his 50s (who was rescued), and the man in his 60s were all coworkers. The man in his 60s was the owner of the boat, and was the father of the man in his 20s.
Washington requires all vessels to have U.S. Coast Guard-approved Type I, II, or III life jackets on board for each passenger.
The vessel was recovered by the Coast Guard nearly fully submerged in water. The Everett Police Department stated it started receiving calls about a boat sinking approximately 200 feet from the shore in Possession Sound northeast of Mukilteo.
According to Richard Braun with the Everett Steelhead & Salmon Club, Wednesday was a “rare and sporadic” opportunity for people to shrimp in the area, with the next chance to do so not coming until June.
By 10:45 p.m. Wednesday, the Coast Guard suspended its search for the missing boaters after searching 130 square miles, officials confirmed.
Contributing: KIRO 7
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