Two fisherment died when the F/V Mistress capsized and sank near the Block Island Wind Farm on 1/1/2019. This summer Green Oceans sponsored investigators located the wreckage within 50′ of one of the turbines.
“The F/V Mistress appears to have been resting in a very conspicuous location and that should have been detected and reported to the USCG for investigation within a period of months, not for more than 7 years.” John Ansay Sr., father of one of the deceased.
Green Oceans (press release attached) is calling for the Federal government to reopen the F/V MISTRESS marine casualty investigation and independently examine the new evidence in light of the incident’s proximity to the Block Island Wind Farm. Because the Coast Guard declared the wreck ‘lost,’ its investigation never resolved the cause of the sinking or the conditions impacting the search and rescue response.
A Coast Guard helicopter dispatched in response to mayday calls reportedly could not conduct sector or parallel searches. The helicopter aborted its rescue attempt, returning after approximately 37 minutes. The records cite high winds, limited visibility, a low ceiling, and proximity to wind turbines as the hazards affecting the decision to turn back.
Green Oceans has asked the U.S. Department of the Interior to coordinate an interagency investigation, including reopening the Coast Guard inquiry that concluded with the vessel and two crew members classified as ‘lost’, and to provide public transparency for all subsea maintenance and monitoring at the site since 2019.
On a related note, perhaps the Coast Guard can finally issue a report on the tragic toppling of the liftboat Russell Peterson in 2008. One crew member lost his life. The vessel was conducting research for a proposed offshore wind project.
