Admiralty Lawyer

The 23-year old skipper of a commercial fishing boat was indicted for 2nd-degree manslaughter, negligent homicide, two misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person and one of boating under the influence of methamphetamine following the January death of a crew member.

Kirk Opheim has had a warrant issued for his arrest but his whereabouts are unknown. His father claims he has not spoken to his son in three months.

The boat Opheim was piloting in January had a large amount of crab on board when it was hit by a 25-foot wave and then 2 more waves. The waves caused the boat to roll 3 times before smashing into the rocks. The Coast Guard was unable to reach the boat by water and so sent in a helicopter which dropped a swimmer into the water. Ken Venard, one of the members of the crew, was in the worst shape and so was removed from the water first. He later died at a hospital. The other members of the crew and the skipper were removed and treated for minor injuries.

If you or someone you know has been the victim of a boating accident, you may have legal rights. Contact the Admiralty attorneys of Williams Kherkher at 1-866-950-9000 to discuss your legal options and rights as well as to set up an initial consultation.