The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has determined that the grounding of the commercial fishing vessel Eileen Rita on April 11, 2025, was caused by the captain falling asleep due to an accumulated “sleep debt”.
The 86.1-foot (26.24-metre) steel-hulled vessel struck Green Island, approximately eight miles (14.8 kilometres) east of Boston, while transiting from fishing grounds at Stellwagen Bank.
The NTSB reported that the captain had obtained only eight hours of sleep in the 48 hours preceding the accident, broken into three short segments. "I didn’t realize how tired I was…until it was too late," the captain told investigators, estimating he fell asleep about 10 minutes before the 07:31 grounding.
The three crewmembers on board were rescued by a Boston Police Harbor Patrol boat at 08:27 after the captain made a mayday call and activated an emergency beacon. Although no injuries were reported, the vessel later sank and was declared a constructive total loss valued at $720,000.
An estimated 4,000 gallons (15,141 litres) of diesel fuel was on board at the time of the incident, resulting in a visible sheen in the water. Bill and Eileen, the operating company, provided the captain's contact details to the US Coast Guard after initial radio communication attempts failed.
The captain was navigating alone on autopilot while the two deckhands were asleep when the vessel drifted off course. The NTSB noted that the Eileen Rita was not equipped with a watch alarm, which is an automated system designed to detect operator disability or absence.
According to the NTSB, a simple watch alarm might have awoken the captain if it had been installed and set to appropriate intervals. The agency stated that even a deficit of as little as two hours of sleep can result in decreased attention and an inability to stay awake.
The vessel had departed Boston Harbor on April 10 at 22:00 to dredge for scallops and was returning to port when the accident occurred. The captain had adjusted the autopilot heading by 15-20 degrees to port to avoid a lighthouse before sitting down and falling asleep.
Search and rescue assets from the Boston Pilots and local first responders also attended the scene following the grounding. The vessel, which was built in 1990 and measured 152 gross tons, was later salvaged following its submersion in the days after the strike.