The crewman who was lost overboard the crab fishing boat BALLAD has been identified as Steve Neva of Ilwaco, Washington. Clatsop County recovery divers found Neva’s body caught in crab gear and lines wrapped in the propellor shaft. Evidence indicates that he was trapped beneath vessel. There was no indication that Neva had been injured by the vessel’s propeller.
Chinook, Washington crab fisherman David Lethin has ownership interest in the BALLAD. Lethin owns multiple other vessels including the ALEUTIAN BALLAD which is now be utilized in the Alaska trade to show tourists a working crab boat. Lethin’s vessels have also been highlighed in the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch television show.