US Coast Guard, NTSB continue investigation into loss of fishing vessel Emmy Rose

The US Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are continuing to investigate the 2020 sinking of the commercial fishing vessel Emmy Rose.

The vessel was returning from a seven-day fishing trip when it sank off the Massachusetts coast in the early morning (local time) of November 23, 2020.

There were no distress calls prior to the sinking.

The coast guard searched more than 2,200 square miles (5,690 square kilometres) over a 38-hour period. The searches yielded a debris field, diesel fuel odour, Emmy Rose‘s emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) and an empty life raft.

None of the vessel’s four crewmembers were found by the time the search was called off.

In May 2021, the coast guard and the NTSB collaborated with MIND Technology, Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to locate Emmy Rose using side-scan sonar.

The 82-foot (25-metre) vessel was located in an upright position with its outriggers deployed in about 800 feet (243 metres) of water on the seafloor about 25 miles (40 kilometres) off the coast of Provincetown, Massachusetts.

In September 2021, investigators partnered with the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) to survey the sunken vessel using a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). The ROV was deployed from the US Coast Guard seagoing buoy tender Sycamore and provided videos and high-resolution photos to assist investigators in attempting to determine the cause of the sinking.

The coast guard and the NTSB said they are continuing to provide updates to the families of the four fishermen lost.

See all the other news, reviews and features of this month’s Maritime Security Week right here.