Early Tuesday, Heather Rehtaeh (Burns) posted a concerning message on Facebook that National Fisherman 2009 Highliner, Joel Kawahara, may be in trouble on his salmon troller.
“My very dear friend Joel Kawahara is hundreds of miles off course in his fishing vessel, the F/V Karolee, and his last contact with me or anyone was Friday morning, 7:30 a.m. His boat was last pinged 75 nautical miles off the coast of Oregon, approximately 12 nautical miles south of Port Orford,” Rehtaeh wrote. “He’s out of range for choppers, and they will need to deploy a plane out of California or Alaska. If anyone knows anyone who can ensure that the Coast Guard is taking this seriously, I would be very grateful.”
On Tuesday evening at 9 p.m., Burns posted again. “I will attempt to keep this caption updated with the most recent information so they don't get buried in the comments. I am grateful to the Coast Guard team that has led this effort. They have had excellent communication with us, and I believe they are doing everything within their capacity with the resources they can access.”
Burns added that the Coast Guard cutter Sea Lion is en route to intercept the Karolee, 100 miles off the shore of California, and expects to make contact at 10:00 AM Wednesday morning. “Commander Straus will call me when she gets on post in the morning. I will continue to update with the latest information available.”
Burns’s Facebook post currently has 102 comments and has drawn the attention of the marine community, including the M/V Belle-Mer, which at last report was 30 miles from the Karolee.
By evening of Aug. 13, Burns reported the heartbreaking news that she had been in touch with the Coast Guard and the vessel had been found, but Joel was not aboard.
“We've set up a memorial website that will be the central place for memorial details, obituary, a place where loved ones can shares/memories/stories,” said Burns. “You can also subscribe your email to receive updates. At some point, a place for funeral donations or a place to donate to a cause in Joel's honor.”
A memorial for Joel William Kawahara has been created on Ever Loved here.
