FLORENCE, Ore. — Billie Jo Hooton was on a fishing boat off the coast of Florence last weekend when it went down. Now her family wants to share their memories — remembering her as a strong woman, proud to thrive in a demanding profession.
Mollie Gower and Brandi Christner said that their sister, Hooton, was an inspiration.
"You don't hear about a lot of women doing what she did, and she did it good," said Christner.
Hooton was a mother, sister, aunt, friend and made a living fishing.
"She was very proud, so proud that she could be a strong fisherwoman," said Gower. "She didn't know at first if she was going to be able to handle it, but she did."
Last Friday, the 39-year-old Hooton left to fish for salmon with her boat captain, 68-year-old Mike Morgan. The U.S. Coast Guard got a mayday call around midnight Saturday morning, coming from a location about 35 miles west of Florence.
Morgan said his boat was sinking with him and another worker onboard. A rescue boat was sent out, finding debris in the water and and a woman unresponsive. Hooton was later pronounced dead.
Crews continued to look for Morgan for more than 24 hours, but the search effort was ultimately called off.
"Sadly we don't make it through a year without a tragedy," said Taunette Dixon. She's with Newport Fishermen's Wives, a nonprofit providing resources and support to families of fishermen. "It is actually the most dangerous profession, especially during the Dungeness crabbing season."
The group worked with the city of Newport to bring a Fishermen's Memorial Sanctuary at Yaquina Bay State Park more than 20 years ago. It is open to the public 24/7, so people can pay their respects to the hundreds lost at sea.
Dixon said that Hooton and Morgan's names will now be added to the memorial — and Hooton will continue to inspire her sisters, who remember all the joy she brought into their lives
"Never go a day without telling the people I love that I love them, and how much they mean to me ... cause that's what she did every time she saw anyone she loved," said Gower.
The family started a GoFundMe to help with a memorial for Hooton.