Coast Guard suspends search for missing fishermen off Nantucket

A life ring from the fishing boat Misty Blue lays on the deck of a Coast Guard Station Brant Point 47-foot Motor Lifeboat after being recovered, Tuesday, Dec. 5, 2017, approximately 10 miles southeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. The Misty Blue sunk near this site on the evening of Monday, Dec. 4, 2017. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)

BOSTON — The Coast Guard suspended its search Tuesday night 8 p.m. for two missing fishermen off Nantucket, pending the development of new information.

The fishermen originally went missing Monday evening after their boat, Misty Blue, sunk approximately 10 miles southeast of Nantucket.

Two other crewmembers were rescued by a passing fishing boat.

The Coast Guard, along with state and local agencies and good Samaritans searched for 42 asset hours saturating a 1,605 square nautical mile area.

The Massachusetts State Police Dive Team assisted the Coast Guard with a side scan sonar Tuesday.

Through the use of that device, search teams located a large object underwater believed to be the vessel. Weather and ocean conditions prevented troopers from diving onto the target.

Conditions Wednesday are expected to be similar and will preclude diving.

The current plan is for State Police divers to return to that area on Thursday and dive onto the target detected by sonar to confirm whether it is the vessel and assist further as needed. 

The cause of the sinking is under investigation.

The search included the following assets:

-An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod
-An HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Cape Cod
-A 47-foot Motor Lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Brant Point
-Coast Guard Cutter Steelhead, an 87-foot patrol boat
-Coast Guard Cutter Tybee, a 110-foot patrol boat
-Coast Guard Cutter Albacore, an 87-foot patrol boat
-Barnstable County Sheriff
-Dennis Fire Department
-Massachusetts State Police Dive Team
-Fishing vessel Enterprise
-Fishing vessel Mariette



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