2 Dead, 1 Rescued After Crabbing Boat Capsizes Near Florence

FLORENCE, Ore. (AP) — Two people died and one person was rescued after a fishing boat sank near Florence Monday morning.

Amber and Kyle Novelli, who operated Novelli’s Crab and Seafood in in Florence, died after their boat capsized, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.

Emergency crews received a distress call from the captain of the crabbing boat around 2 a.m., according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The captain said everyone aboard was abandoning ship.

Officials said the boat hit a jetty in the Siuslaw River Bar and was taking on water. Waves reached as high as 10 feet (3 meters) near the bar, officials said.

A Coast Guard helicopter crew and local emergency responders rescued one man around 3 a.m., the Coast Guard said.

The two others on board were found unresponsive by 7 a.m., the Coast Guard said.

Amber and Kyle Novelli were the only active commercial crabbers who lived and worked in Florence, according to a 2019 profile of the couple by the Siuslaw News. In the article, Amber discussed the uncertainty and danger of crabbing.