A federal judge today found charter boat captain Richard J. Oba guilty of recklessness in the 2005 deaths of three passengers near Winchester Bay and sentenced him to six years in prison.  Oba apologized to his victims and the lone passenger to survive - Jim Parker - and said that he never intended to cross the Umpqua Bar and was blind-sided by the 17-foot wave that rolled his boat, the Sydney Mae II. But Oba, bowing slightly as he read a statement before U.S. District Judge Ancer Haggerty, said he was consumed by the "awful burden" of ending three lives. "I am truly sorry for the loss," he said. Oba pleaded guilty in January after maintaining his innocence for more than a year. Government prosecutors recommended a sentence of more than four years, but Haggerty gave Oba a longer sentence. The Sydney Mae II capsized Sept. 19, 2005. The U.S. Coast Guard closed the Umpqua River bar to recreational boats, directing Oba to take his passengers to Charleston. Other fishermen watching the seas that evening warned the skipper that, with plunging breakers reaching 16 feet, the bar was too rough to approach. -- Bryan Denson; bryandenson@news.oregonian.com .

I think the greatest lesson for all of us in this incident is that the ocean commands a great deal of respect from even the most experienced of us. When someone as experienced as Captain Oba can find himself in such a tragedy it makes many of us who are less experienced take a harder look at our practices and at very least gives each of a us a much greater respect for the ocean and it's awesome power. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the families and friends of the deceased and surviving. Let's be careful out there and see that others don't find themselves in a similar tragedy.

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