Couple who died after boat capsized identified

Oct. 7—A married couple from Astoria died Sunday when their boat capsized and ran aground on Nedonna Beach near Rockaway Beach.

Allen Payne, 79, and Shirley Payne, 76, set sail from Astoria in the early morning hours, their son told the Tillamook County Sheriff's Office. The Paynes kept their vessel, a 42-foot pleasure boat named Bagheera, at an Astoria pier.

They were heading toward San Francisco, according to the initial report.

Around 7 p.m. that night, witnesses reported the boat tossing in the surf.

Shirley Payne washed ashore and was found unconscious. Medical responders were unable to revive her. Allen Payne was found tangled in rope outside the boat, near the propeller, deceased.

They were the only people known to be onboard.

The sheriff's office does not suspect foul play, but the investigation is ongoing, the agency said.

The waters just south of the south Nehalem jetty are known to be treacherous, Paul Fournier, an investigator and public information officer with the sheriff's office, said. Over the years, several boating accidents have occurred in the area.