4 Persons Missing As Fishing Boat Capsizes Off Massachusetts Coast, Search Underway

KEY POINTS

Calls to the boat's satellite phone went unanswered, the owner of the vessel said
Rescuers found debris and an empty life raft at the boat’s last known location
Rescue officials faced difficulties during the search due to harsh weather conditions

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for four fishermen who went missing when their boat capsized in the Atlantic Ocean off the Massachusetts coast.

The 82-feet fishing vessel, named Emmy Rose, was based out of Portland. It sank about 20 miles northeast of Provincetown on Monday, the Coast Guard said in a statement.

The owner of the vessel said four crew members were aboard the boat, and calls to its satellite phone went unanswered, the statement mentioned.

Petty Officer Ryan Noel told ABC News the crew didn’t make any sort of distress or mayday call. The emergency crews were notified when the vessel’s Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon sent out its signal after making contact with the water.

The search involved three Coast Guard vessels and two aircraft, according to the statement from the Coast Guard. Rescue officials faced difficulties in carrying out the search because of 6-to-8 foot seas and 35 mph (55 kph) winds, Noel told ABC News. When the rescuers reached the boat’s last known location, they reportedly found only debris and an empty life raft.

The Coast Guard had rescued two men last week after their boat capsized off the coast of Charleston, South Carolina, FITSNews reported. A container freight ship, which cruised next to the boat, sent it crashing into the Charleston jetties, causing it to sink. The two persons on board then alerted the rescue officials as their boat started to sink.

The incident comes months after five fishermen drowned when their vessel sank in the Gulf of Alaska in January. The Scandies Rose, a 130-foot crab fishing ship from Dutch Harbor, which was carrying seven crew members, capsized near Sutwik Island. Four hours into the search, two survivors were pulled out from the waters and were airlifted to safety. The Coast Guard continued to search for the other five people but were forced to end their search 20 hours later due to harsh weather conditions. The five fishermen were presumed dead.