Captain of doomed vessel set to change plea
The captain of a ship that sunk off the
Capt. Richard Oba was in charge of the fishing vessel Sydney Mae II when it was hit by strong waves and sunk in September of 2005 near the mouth of the
The Coast Guard had closed the Umpqua Bar at the time and denied the captain's requests to enter because of the weather, according to the National Transportation Safety Board.
The Coast Guard rescued two people, two of the passengers' bodies were recovered and a third was never found.
The NTSB ruled that the likely cause of the accident was the captain's decision to get too close to the bar, and his failure to ensure the passengers were wearing life jackets, which they were not at the time.
Oba's lawyer said despite the planned plea change scheduled for December 15, his client admitted to being negligent but not reckless and he disputed the government's account of the sinking.
Sentencing is set for March.
Stay tuned!
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