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An organization believes it has found the wreckage of a fishing boat that sank more than seven years ago, which could solve the mystery surrounding the deaths of two fishermen.
Green Oceans, a Rhode Island-based environmental organization, announced the discovery of what it believes to be the F/V Mistress in the waters off Block Island in September.
The ship sank on January 1, 2019, according to the organization.
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Two fishermen died in the incident and the U.S. Coast Guard searched for the vessel after the sinking but never located the wreck.
The F/V Mistress was discovered about 92 feet underwater, just 50 feet from the base of a wind turbine at the Block Island Wind Farm, according to Green Oceans.
Green Oceans has announced the discovery of what it believes to be the F/V Mistress, a fishing boat that disappeared more than seven years ago. (Green Oceans)
The organization said “apparent human remains” were also discovered at the site.
Michael Lombardi, president of Green Oceans, told Fox News Digital that his organization began searching for the vessel after receiving tips from two contractors who had previously worked near the Block Island Wind Farm’s No. 1 turbine.
One contractor said he had heard rumors of an underwater wreck, while another claimed to have personally spotted the wreck during survey work at the site.
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Lombardi said he then reviewed the original Coast Guard accident report and plotted GPS coordinates associated with the distress calls and other key details, which pointed investigators to the turbine.
“Once plotted on a map, it became obvious where to focus the search area, and it coincided perfectly with Turbine 1,” Lombardi said.
The F/V Mistress, seen above, sank on January 1, 2019, sparking a Coast Guard search that failed to locate the ship’s wreckage. (Green Oceans)
When asked by Fox News Digital how sure he was that the wreck was the F/V Mistress, Lombardi replied, “100 percent.”
He added: “The dive team studied footage of the vessel before diving the site and focused on finding key identifying features. …A striking element was the net drum. It has several unique features.
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Tim Diaz, who survived the wreck, confirmed that the net drum belonged to the Mistress, according to Lombardi.
Diaz built the equipment himself.
The mystery isn’t over — and Lombardi said there’s still some “uncertainty” about what happened in the ship’s final moments, although he said it was undoubtedly in distress.
The wreck believed to belong to the F/V Mistress, seen above right, was discovered just 50 feet from the base of an offshore wind turbine, pictured left. (Green Oceans)
“Based on the orientation of the wreckage on the bottom, there is cause to investigate whether an evasive maneuver to starboard was carried out in an attempt to avoid a collision with the turbine,” he said.
“With the hull full of water, this maneuver could have ultimately caused the ship to roll and then sink.”
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Lombardi said he hoped federal authorities would reopen the investigation to determine whether the two deceased fishermen remained in the wreck or were swept out to sea and whether such maneuvering contributed to the sinking.
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“The USCG and all agencies involved do a tremendous job protecting mariners on the water,” Lombardi said, adding that he hopes the discovery will help answer lingering questions about the tragedy.
Green Oceans hopes federal authorities will reopen the investigation into the F/V Mistress following the discovery of suspected wreckage near an offshore wind turbine. (Green Oceans)
While Green Oceans focuses on the environmental and maritime safety impacts of offshore wind development, Lombardi said the finding could have implications for future permitting decisions.
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“If this accident had been fully investigated in 2019, when the ship wreck had occurred, the favorable landscape for offshore winds would have been very different with respect to safety considerations along the continental shelf,” he said.
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