Coast Guard suspends search for 3 missing fishermen off Martha’s Vineyard
The vessel, Leonardo, capsized and sank on Sunday.
The Coast Guard has suspended its search for three fishermen who have been missing since their boat capsized and sank off Martha’s Vineyard on Sunday. Rescuers had been searching the area, about 24 nautical miles off the island, since receiving a distress signal from the New Bedford fishing vessel around 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. One fisherman, identified by the Coast Guard as Ernesto Santos, was rescued on Sunday evening and taken to a hospital. An update on his condition wasn’t immediately available on Tuesday morning, Coast Guard petty officer Zachary Hupp told Boston.com. The Coast Guard released a video of the man’s rescue.
https://www.facebook.com/USCoastGuardNortheast/videos/1284869108370550/?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAFjLyhmsMWWqDZ54dnBdG8dqGRzMwLbEDNuSZE9ef5fxeZZDbq2YDbyg-TMaF3P05Xt_xch3LjCuiCtjnhW_Kdt2wweoWsN56xarQtCZKelSz7P5PjnsW1rpAAdLwailcGHiUW5d3rM3hVjkg_uZ5w7Vj4foBPIu6DvcSTKH9CvHb6L5jPfTQVvjRT8tTeUBdgygs5U-46lc_CD1E3rtM2-KfJqjqER0dIpsDhKCFStQO0TxTr8iMQRHF3ISJ8nkPflD1cSIHf0e0TfzD_D6bgn122840N0nRkwy-A-0DRu2Z5pYYBbaAh0UrXJewZ7qI3TxbdsJxV1aGcSbV9bdxi59SPTlUp&__tn__=-R
The Coast Guard said Monday it was suspending the search for his three crew mates “pending further developments” and had notified the fishermen’s next of kin that the search was ending.
#HappeningNow @USCGNortheast Rescue crews from Air Station Cape Cod have recovered one fisherman and are actively searching for 3 more after receiving a distress signal from a boat that capsized and sank, 24NM SW of Martha’s Vineyard, #Massachusetts #SAR
— USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) November 24, 2019
#Update: @USCGNortheast crews have suspended the search off Martha’s Vineyard pending further developments. NOK notifications have been made.
— USCGNortheast (@USCGNortheast) November 25, 2019
The men have been identified as Gerald Bretal, Xavier Vega, and Michael Cormier Jr., according to Hupp.
“Today #NewBedford mourns the loss of the crew of the F/V Leonardo, and we extend our prayers and support to their families,” New Bedford Mayor Jon Mitchell tweeted Monday evening.
Today #NewBedford mourns the loss of the crew of the F/V Leonardo, and we extend our prayers and support to their families.
— Jon Mitchell (@JonMitchellNB) November 26, 2019
Relatives of the missing men who spoke with WCVB pleaded for people to continue looking off the coast.
“Just anybody, please, who can help us, who can look for him,” Alisha Marques, Cormier’s sister, told the station. “Please find him and bring him home.”
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