The 62 foot long fishing vessel Lady Cecelia went missing off the Washington coast near Leadbetter Point, Willapa Bay.   The fishing vessel had encountered bad weather with 12-foot seas and wind gusts up to 75 miles per hour.  A distress radio beacon (EPIRB) signal from the Lady Cecelia was received by the Coast Guard.  The Coast Guard initially dispatched helicopters and multiple 47 foot lifeboats to search for survivors.   A debris field was found near Willapa Bay with an oil slick, crab pots and an empty lifeboat, but no signs of the four crewmen.  The Coast Guard added additional helicopters and  a C-130 search plane to aid the search effort.  The cutter Cuttyhunk was launched but was recalled when the search effort was suspended the next day.   The Coast Guard called off the search after covering some 1,300 square miles. 

 

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