It was to be the last trip for Joshua Porter aboard the Mary B II.

Instead, he became one of three men killed when the 42-foot fishing vessel ran aground while crossing the Yaquina Bay bar on Tuesday night. Also on board were skipper Stephen Biernacki, 50, and James Lacy, 48, both of New Jersey.

“Josh had spoken to some people on Friday that this would be his last trip on the boat and as of the 12th he had a new job lined up,” said Celeste Paranto, a friend of Porter’s. “He told friends that the crew was inexperienced. Those were his words. It’s very sad. Because he was a responsible person he went out on the trip and never returned home. I’m really having a hard time with it.”

Seas were building fast Tuesday night, going from an almost flat 4-foot waves to nearly 20 feet, said Thomas Molloy, Yaquina Bay Coast Guard commanding officer. Because of the increasingly dangerous conditions, the Coast Guard began escorting other fishing vessels in.

Just before 10 p.m. Coast Guard crews spotted the Mary B II’s halogen light on the horizon, but the crew wasn’t answering their radio, Molloy said.

“We did some detective work and found a way to reach them,” Molloy said. “They said they were coming back and were not asking for assistance, but we decided to be proactive. We met them at buoy No. 1 and explained our procedure for safely crossing the bar.”

The Coast Guard began escorting the Mary B II to the tips of the jetty, about a mile. The crew told the Coast Guard the boat could “make 7 knots” (about 8 miles an hour), but it could only make 2 knots, Molloy said.

“I can tell you we didn’t cover that mile very fast,” he said. “We got close to the entrance. I began calling and telling them they were lining up too far north — we call them the dumping grounds. Most fishermen here know to avoid them. The boat did not come starboard in time and was swamped. A wave washed right over the top of the pilot house. The boat was washed around the North Jetty and onto the beach.”

Rescuers are seen near the commercial fishing vessel Mary B II early Wednesday after it washed ashore. The boat capsized while trying to cross the Yaquina Bay bar near Newport, Oregon, late Tuesday, killing three fishermen.

Two of the deceased men were found on the beach. Biernacki was found in the pilot house, but heavy surf made recovery of his body too dangerous. Newport Fire Department crews were able to recover the body Wednesday morning.

The Coast Guard said its investigating the capsizing.

Biernacki and Lacy were new to the area and the boat recently purchased, said Taunette Dixon, president of the Newport Fishermen’s Wives group.

A Facebook page in Biernacki’s name shows a photo of the boat posted Nov. 5. When a friend commented that he thought Biernacki had been joking, Biernacki replied, “No joke Jim 300 pot Limited Entry Dungeness Crab permit in Oregon and Salmon, Albacore tuna and Black Cod permits...Hope to fish about 9-10 months a year just wait for the crab to open lots of gear work.”

While the New Jersey men do not appear to have been well known, it seems everyone knew Joshua Porter, who divided his time in port communities throughout the state.

“The thing that made Josh special was that he had been addicted for most of his life,” said Bernie Lindley, a pastor at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Brookings and a fisherman. “When Josh was able to figure out what it was going to mean to become sober, he turned his life over to God. He was on fire for the new life he had. He was extremely happy to be given the second chance he was given. That enthusiasm he had for sober living was an inspiration to me.”

Porter had a tuna boat in Coos Bay and was looking forward to fishing his own boat rather than working for someone else, Lindley said.

Crabbing season had just gotten underway Jan. 1 when crabbers were allowed to set pots, then return 72 hours later to begin retrieving crab. The season was delayed from the usual Dec. 1 start because the crabs were not full enough of meat.

“What seems to happen every year is we’ll go on strike or we won’t be able to fish because of demoic acid or the crabs aren’t full enough, and during that time there’s really nice weather but as soon as the boats are able to go fishing the weather kicks up,” Dixon said. “Most boats have been very thoughtful about going out in the weather. This is an industry where most people have experience and know the conditions of the bar. I think that when the season gets pushed back the boat owners or the crew or captain get very hungry to be able to support their family.”

On Newport’s bayfront today, the skies were dark, the mood equally somber.

“He was a great man,” said Paranto, Porter’s friend. “He was a huge part of this community. He led a lot of people into recovery and to the Lord. Josh will be missed on these docks by the entire bayfront. The entire community is mourning his loss. We’ve lit candles for Josh today. Everybody’s face is stricken with grief. It’s so sad.”

-- Lori Tobias

Special to The Oregonian/OregonLive

-- Jim Ryan of The Oregon/OregonLive contributed to this report.