BLOCK ISLAND, R.I. (WHDH) — The search for two missing fishermen in the water off Rhode Island was suspended Wednesday night, the Coast Guard announced.
The fishermen had been missing since early Tuesday morning when their boat, The Mistress, capsized and sank near Block Island, officials said.
At about 1:30 a.m., the Coast Guard said it received mayday call stating the boat was taking on water.
One fisherman drifting in a life raft was rescued by the fishing boat Captain Bligh after it initially responded to the scene.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod arrived on scene a short while later and began searching but encountered low visibility, unsafe weather conditions, and was forced to return to base.
Crews searched for about 72 hours in total and covered an estimated 2,152 square nautical miles before deciding to call off the search.
Multiple cutters, helicopter and airplane crews, and two 40-plus-foot response boats were used in the search.
No additional information was immediately available.
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)