Skipper Killed in Accident

The saltwater sportfishing community is mourning the bizarre death of one of the top young skippers of San Diego’s popular long-range fleet.

James “Rollo” Heyn was killed late Thursday afternoon after a powerful explosive device he was handling blew up while the Royal Polaris was returning from an 18-day trip to Mexico’s Revillagigedo Islands.

Heyn, 39, the “second skipper” behind Capt. Steve Loomis, reportedly bled to death as the vessel raced toward San Carlos, a small industrial city on Magdalena Bay on the west coast of Baja California about 160 miles north of Cabo San Lucas.

When Heyn died several hundred yards short of the pier at San Carlos, Loomis turned the vessel around and set a course for home, said Frank LoPreste, the boat’s owner, from his office at Fisherman’s Landing.

Fifteen passengers and crew remain aboard the 115-foot vessel. The body of Heyn, who worked on the boat for 20 years, first as a deckhand and most recently as captain, is stored below in a refrigerated hold along with several tons of giant yellowfin tuna.

“There must be a tremendous amount of guilt and people second-guessing themselves as to what might have been done to avoid this tragedy,” said Bob Fletcher, 56, president of the Sportfishing Assn. of California, which represents the interests of 175 sportfishing vessels from 23 landings from Santa Barbara to San Diego.

After several days of fishing at the Revillagigedos, a remote chain of islands beginning about 220 miles south of the tip of Baja California, the boat pulled into Cabo San Lucas at Land’s End early Thursday and dropped off more than half of its 25 passengers.

Most of them will fly home today and meet the vessel Sunday morning to unload their fish.

For those who remain aboard on such trips, the three-day ride home is an arduous one, which might partially explain the events leading up to the tragedy.

One passenger, a firefighter, brought aboard an unknown number of “homemade fireworks,” said LoPreste, 55, a pioneer of long-range fishing and one of the most respected skippers on the West Coast.

As the sun was sinking into the Pacific on Thursday afternoon, some of the passengers and crew began lighting the devices and tossing them off the stern.

“They had dropped half the passengers at Cabo and were coming home . . . and just before dark they decided to have some fun,” LoPreste said, struggling with his emotions.

“They were lighting these things and throwing them off the back and watching the explosions. They supposedly had 20-second fuses and for some reason . . . Rollo decided to put one in a can.

“He lit it and held the can. One of the crew members told him to throw it and he just held it. Then someone else yelled at him to throw it and . . . the thing went off.”

The extent of injuries to Heyn’s arms and torso were so severe that not even the firefighter, who is also a paramedic, could save him, LoPreste said.

Attempts to reach Loomis via satellite telephone Friday afternoon were unsuccessful. LoPreste would not identify the firefighter or any of the passengers still aboard the sportfisher.

U.S. Coast Guard investigators will meet the vessel when it clears customs in San Diego Harbor near Shelter Island. Interviews will be conducted and Heyn’s body will be removed before the boat is allowed to continue to Fisherman’s Landing, where hundreds of tuna measuring up to eight feet and weighing up to nearly 300 pounds will be unloaded.

Coast Guard Lt. Chris Palmer, who will lead the investigation, would not speculate on the possibility of charges being leveled against Loomis or any of his crew.

If Loomis eventually is found to have been negligent, he could face suspension or revocation of his captain’s license.

But now Loomis is trying to deal with piloting a boat while the lifeless body of his good friend lies below.

“Rollo was one of the nicest people I’ve ever met,” said Paul Morris, manager of Fisherman’s Landing.

“It’s a big loss not only for the industry but for anyone who knew him.”

Heyn is survived by his wife, Stephanie, his father, brother and two grandparents. The date of services is pending.