Captain Life Lost as Sportfish Capsizes in Oregon Inlet North Carolina

A fifty year old Pennsylvania captain died, while the New Jersey mate was transported to the hospital after a fifteen meter sportfish yacht titled Moonstruck capsized in Oregon Inlet at around 12:30 of Saturday eighteen July. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said the incident was reported by operators of another vessel in the area who happened to be on the phone with the U.S. Coast Guard checking conditions in the inlet when they witnessed the Moonstruck capsize. The Coast Guard was on scene within thirty minutes, who located Flannery, the Moonstruck’s 29 year old mate, who finding a utilized detergent bottle first and then a life jacket stayed afloat and survived. The mate was transported by Dare EMS to The Outer Banks Hospital in Nags Head with what have been reported to be minor injuries.  Shortly afterwards the Coast Guard located the fifty year old Captain Francis Hennigan Jr of Pennsylvania in the water, unresponsive, and was pronounced deceased by medical personnel. Since the captain’s death was unwitnessed, an autopsy will be performed by the North Carolina's Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death, but it is suspected he died due to drowning. Moonstruck was en-route from Cape May, New Jersey to Florida and needed to stop in Beaufort, North Carolina for repairs to a damaged prop.  At the time of the incident the express sportfish was powered by three of its four Mercury outboard engines.  The incident capsizing and fatality are being investigated by the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, noting that it is currently thought that the predominant factor were conditions in the inlet.  The hull of the express sportfish washed ashore on the north end of Pea Island on Sunday morning.

This is not the first time Oregon Inlet takes a life, as on third March 2024, Captain Charlie Griffin of Wicked Tuna TV series fame lost his life during a delivery of a ten meter sportfish cruiser.

M/y Moonstruck the express sportfish in this accident is a custom cold moulded 2022 build Winter Custom Yacht 50 Walkaround Hull W-34, powered by a quadruple Mercury 600hp set up for top speeds up to 51 knots.  Winter Custom Yachts was founded by Tim Winter in 2006, launching its first 62 Convertible Hull W-1 in 2008, and is currently building its 41st sportfish and largest hull to date with W-40 at 74 foot.