An organization believes it has located a fishing boat that sank over seven years ago, possibly unraveling the mystery surrounding the deaths of two fishermen. Green Oceans, an environmental group based in Rhode Island, announced in September that it had discovered what it thinks is the F/V Mistress in the waters near Block Island.
The vessel reportedly sank on January 1, 2019. Following the incident, two fishermen lost their lives, and although the U.S. Coast Guard searched for the boat, they were unable to find any trace of it.
According to Green Oceans, the F/V Mistress was discovered at a depth of around 92 feet, merely 50 feet away from the base of a wind turbine at the Block Island Wind Farm. Additionally, the organization mentioned that “apparent human remains” were found at the site.
Michael Lombardi, the president of Green Oceans, shared with Fox News Digital that the effort to find the vessel began after two contractors, who worked near the first turbine at the wind farm, provided tips. One contractor mentioned hearing whispers of an underwater wreck, while another claimed to have seen the wreckage during a survey.
After examining the Coast Guard’s original accident report, Lombardi utilized GPS coordinates linked to distress calls and other significant details, which indicated the search area should center near the turbine.
“Once mapped, it was quite clear where we needed to focus our search, and it matched perfectly with turbine 1,” Lombardi noted.
When asked about his confidence that the wreckage belonged to the F/V Mistress, Lombardi stated he was “100% sure.” He explained that the dive team analyzed images of the boat prior to diving, aiming to find distinguishing features. A particularly notable characteristic was the net drum, which displayed several unique traits.
Tim Diaz, one of the survivors of the incident, affirmed that the net drum was indeed from the Mistress, as he had constructed it himself.
However, the case is still shrouded in uncertainty. Lombardi mentioned there are still questions regarding the vessel’s last moments, though he did confirm that it was clearly in distress at the time.
“Based on how the wreck is positioned on the seabed, we should investigate whether an attempt was made to steer right to avoid a collision with the turbine,” he suggested. “If the hull was already filled with water, that maneuver might have led to the vessel rolling over and sinking.”
Lombardi expressed hopes that federal authorities would reopen the investigation to ascertain whether the two fishermen were still inside the wreck or had been washed out to sea, and whether the supposed maneuver contributed to the sinking.
“The U.S. Coast Guard and related agencies do incredible work to safeguard mariners, and I hope this discovery can help clarify some unresolved issues regarding the incident,” he commented.
As Green Oceans continues to focus on the environmental and safety impacts of offshore wind development, Lombardi indicated that this discovery could affect future permitting decisions. He reflected that if the accident had been thoroughly investigated in 2019, while the wreckage was still available, the approach to offshore wind permitting could have significantly differed in terms of safety considerations along the continental shelf.
