A Portland-based fishing boat is believed to have sunk early Monday off the coast of Massachusetts and the Coast Guard was searching for four crew members by mid-morning.
A Coast Guard station in Boston at 1 a.m. reported a signal from the emergency position indicating radio beacon of the 82-foot fishing vessel Emmy Rose, according to a statement. The radio beacon is automatically activated when a vessel sinks or capsizes.
The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter and a cutter to the boat’s last known position, where they found debris and an empty life raft. The Coast Guard later deployed two cutters, an aircraft and a motor life boat to search an area 20 miles northeast of Provincetown, Mass.
The owner of the Emmy Rose said there were four people aboard, but there were no answers on the vessel’s satellite phone, the Coast Guard said. All four crew are reportedly from Maine, and the boat was due to make port Monday in Gloucester, Mass.
The weather in the search area Monday morning was described as 30-knot winds with 6- to 8-foot seas.
The Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association tweeted Monday morning, “Our thoughts are with the families of those on the Emmy Rose and we hope for their safe return.”