An underwater search team has located a shipwreck presumed to be the commercial fishing vessel Mistress within 50 feet (15.2 metres) of an offshore wind turbine near Block Island, more than seven years after the vessel sank with two fishermen aboard.
The wreck was discovered during an investigation sponsored by advocacy group Green Oceans. The two fishermen were never recovered, and the US Coast Guard subsequently classified the vessel and its crew as “lost” before closing its investigation.
Side-scan sonar detected the wreck on July 27, 2026, and scientific divers inspected the site on August 30 in approximately 92 feet (28 metres) of water.
Divers identified several features consistent with the missing vessel, including its propeller, fuel tanks, net drum, deck hatch and processing equipment. The team also documented what appeared to be human remains.
Original search records indicate that a US Coast Guard rescue helicopter responding to the incident aborted its mission after 37 minutes, citing poor visibility, high winds and the proximity of wind turbines.
Green Oceans has petitioned the US Department of the Interior to coordinate an interagency inquiry and reopen the marine-casualty investigation.
The group said it wants the new evidence independently examined, including in relation to the wreck's proximity to the Block Island Wind Farm, and has asked federal officials to suspend nearby maintenance activities while the circumstances are assessed.
The group also pointed to the implications of the original investigation for offshore wind development.
Green Oceans said the Coast Guard's classification of the vessel as “lost” left the cause of the sinking and conditions affecting the search and rescue response unresolved, while federal approvals for offshore wind projects since 2019 have relied on coast guard assessments that turbines would not significantly hinder search and rescue operations.
Subsequent federal approvals for Ørsted's South Fork Wind and Revolution Wind projects characterised adverse effects on navigation safety as “minimal”.
“What is ‘minimal’ about the loss of two men's lives and the consequences for the families they left behind?” asked Green Oceans trustee Barbara Chapman.
Documentation and underwater imagery from the discovery have been submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board and Rhode Island authorities to help verify the vessel's identity.
