Remembering the Katmai’s lost crew

Flowers and photos remembering the five dead and two missing from the Ballard-based fishing vessel Katmai have been left at Fishermen’s Memorial.

Among the dead are Cedric Smith, Glenn Harper, Jake Gilman, Joshua Leonguerrero and Fuli Lemusu. Two are still missing, Carlos Zabala and Robert Davis. The Katmai sunk in rough seas, and four survived by clinging to a life raft for 17 hours in their survival suits. “They said initially there were seven people in the raft, and then there was a big wave and it got whittled down,” said a Coast Guard pilot. Hearings begin on Monday to investigate the accident, which may bring more federal scrutiny: this is the fourth Alaska “head-and-gut” vessel to suffer a tragedy this decade, adding up to 28 deaths.