Veteran Riviera Fishing Guide Dies in Early-Morning Baffin Bay Crash
RIVIERA, TEXAS - Longtime fishing guide Craig West died tragically in an early-morning boating accident in Baffin Bay on Saturday, October 4, 2025.
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and the Kleberg County Sheriff’s Office, West’s boat crashed into a pier at around 6:30 a.m. He was alone on board and believed to have been traveling at a high rate of speed while on his way to pick up clients for a fishing trip.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a medical emergency or poor visibility in the pre-dawn darkness as contributing factors.
Friends and family say West had decades of experience navigating the waters of Baffin Bay, often before sunrise.
