2 days ago
Officials investigate after 2 bodies found with missing boat Seahorse off Cape Cod
The Seahorse is captained by Shawn Arsenault, the
Officials did not identify the two people whose bodies were recovered. They said next of kin were notified.
'Our hearts go out to the families of both persons onboard,' Commander Cliff Graham, search and rescue mission coordinator for the case, said in a statement.
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'The level of support from our maritime response partners and members from the fishing and local community was remarkable,' Graham's statement said. 'It directly contributed to detection of the vessel and closure for the family.'
A recreational fisherman spotted the 30-foot white-hulled vessel while trolling near the search area, according to the statement.
A Coast Guard cutter named William Sparling, which had been searching overnight, arrived at the scene within 30 minutes, and divers from Massachusetts Environmental Police and State Police identified the boat.
The office of Cape and Islands District Attorney Robert Galibois is investigating.
'This matter remains under active investigation,' community outreach coordinator Katie Green told the Globe on Wednesday. She said the district attorney's office could not comment further.
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Seahorse was two days overdue from a fishing trip in Cape Cod Bay when the search began Tuesday morning.
The harbormaster in Orleans initiated the search.
The boat was last believed to be two miles off Chatham, where it was placed by a cell phone ping, according to a social media post by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England.
Seahorse has a gold mermaid figure on the bow, and 'SEAHORSE' painted on the stern in rough lettering, officials said.
The Seahorse was docked in Orleans harbor last week, according to kayaker Daniel Moniz, who said in an email he noted the boat's distinctive mermaid.
The vessel was known to fish in the area near Billingsgate Shoals, and usually returned the same day, according to the Coast Guard's statement.
The harbormaster in Orleans became concerned after seeing the owner's truck at the marina two days later, the statement said.
The Coast Guard issued an urgent marine information broadcast Tuesday morning to notify the public of the emergency, and launched Stations Chatham, Cape Cod Canal, and Provincetown to search the fishing area within Cape Cod Bay, the statement said.
Search efforts also focused on the location of the last known cell phone ping from the owner's phone, two miles offshore from Chatham, officials said.
On Wednesday, a Coast Guard plane and a State Police helicopter joined the search effort.
Prior Globe reporting contributed to this report.
Claire Thornton can be reached at
