Rhode Island-based environmental organization Green Oceans says it found what it believes is the wreckage of the F/V Mistress off Block Island in September. The fishing boat sank on Jan. 1, 2019, killing two fishermen, according to the organization. The Coast Guard searched for the vessel after the incident but did not locate it, the report says.
Green Oceans said the wreckage lies about 92 feet underwater, roughly 50 feet from the base of a turbine at the Block Island Wind Farm. The organization also reported finding apparent human remains at the site. The supplied account does not say that authorities have confirmed the remains’ identity or the wreck’s identification.
Michael Lombardi, Green Oceans’ president, told Fox News Digital that tips from two contractors helped prompt the search. He said he reviewed the Coast Guard’s original accident report and used coordinates associated with distress calls to narrow the search area. Lombardi expressed confidence that the vessel is the Mistress, citing identifying features including its net drum. According to Lombardi, Tim Diaz, a survivor of the sinking who built the equipment, recognized it.
The circumstances of the sinking remain unresolved. Lombardi said the wreck’s position raises the possibility that the boat turned to starboard while trying to avoid the turbine, and that water in the hull could have contributed to the vessel rolling and sinking. Those are his interpretations, not established findings in the supplied report.
Lombardi said he hopes federal authorities will reopen the investigation to determine what happened and whether the fishermen remain inside the wreck. He also argued that the discovery could be relevant to offshore wind safety and future permitting. The source material provides no response from the Coast Guard or wind farm operator and does not report an official determination about the wreck or cause of the accident.
