The sad tale of Misty Blue; Coast Guard suspends search for missing fishermen Michael Roberts and Jonathan Saravia; two others rescued by nearby vessel

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  • The missing crew members were identified today by Atlantic Cape Fisheries as Michael Roberts, 44, and Jonathan Saraiva, 32. 
Misty Blue went to Davy Jones locker with two fishermen never found, two rescued. Photo courtesy of WPRI

The sad tale of Misty Blue; Coast Guard suspends search for two missing fishermen; two others rescued by nearby vessel

BOSTON — The Coast Guard suspended its search Tuesday at 8 p.m. for two missing fishermen near Nantucket, pending the development of new information.

The fishermen originally went missing Monday evening after their boat, Misty Blue, sunk approximately 10 miles southeast of Nantucket. Two other crewmembers were rescued by a nearby good Samaritan.

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The Coast Guard, along with state and local agencies and good Samaritans searched for 42 asset hours saturating a 1,605 square nautical mile area.

The search included the following assets:

-An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod
-An HC-144 Ocean Sentry aircraft from Air Station Cape Cod
-A 47-foot Motor Lifeboat from Coast Guard Station Brant Point
-Coast Guard Cutter Steelhead, an 87-foot patrol boat
-Coast Guard Cutter Tybee, a 110-foot patrol boat
-Coast Guard Cutter Albacore, an 87-foot patrol boat
-Barnstable County Sheriff
-Dennis Fire Department
-Massachusetts State Police Dive Team
-Fishing vessel Enterprise
-Fishing vessel Mariette

The cause of the sinking is under investigation.

From the Boston Herald

Lawsuit charged ship was unseaworthy one month before sinking

NEW BEDFORD — Less than one month before the Misty Blue sank in the frigid waters of the Atlantic, a Fairhaven fisherman filed a $1.5 million lawsuit charging he was seriously injured in September as a result of the captain and crew’s negligence and the commercial vessel’s “unseaworthiness.”

The civil action was brought against the Misty Blue and its owner, New Jersey-based Sea Harvest Inc., on Nov. 8 in U.S. District Court in South Boston. The case has since been assigned to a judge and summons have been issued, court records show.

Chad Brayton, the vessel manager for Atlantic Capes Fisheries, said at a press conference today there had been no prior problems with the Misty Blue.

He told a Herald reporter he would “Absolutely not” comment on the lawsuit.

Danny Cohen, the owner of the Misty Blue, said the injury alleged in the lawsuit happened at the dock, adding “there was no issue of unseaworthiness, they had not moved, they were not underway.”

Seaman Matthew Lyons alleges in the complaint that on Sept. 15, “as a result of the negligence of the captain/crew of the vessel,” he was “seriously injured while serving as a member of the crew.”

The suit does not detail what happened to Lyons but claims he “suffered severe personal injuries, the pain of body and anguish of mind” that left him disabled.

His injuries, Lyons claims, were “caused by an unseaworthy condition of said F/V Misty Blue.”

Lyons’ attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The 69-foot, steel-hulled ship, built in 1996 and formerly named the Harvester, according to U.S. Coast Guard records, was lost last night 10 miles off Nantucket when it rolled over while the crew was harvesting surf clams.

The missing crew members were identified today by Atlantic Cape Fisheries as Michael Roberts, 44, and Jonathan Saraiva, 32. 

Two other men on board the Misty Blue were rescued by a private fishing vessel in the area.  MORE


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