A fishing vessel that sank in New England, resulting in the loss of all four fishermen, likely capsized because of poor drainage of seawater from the rear deck and hatches that weren’t watertight, investigators said.
The National Transportation Safety Board called Tuesday for stepped up inspections and renewed its call for personal locator beacons for each crew member. The agency first made that recommendation after the loss of the cargo vessel El Faro and 33 sailors in 2015.
NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy urged fishing boat operators to purchase the individual radio beacons for crew members.
“Don’t wait for a mandate from the Coast Guard,” Homendy said in a written statement. “If the Emmy Rose crew had access to these devices, perhaps some of them would still be with us today.”
The tragedy unfolded as the Portland-based Emmy Rose was headed to Gloucester, Massachusetts, to offload an estimated 45,000 pounds of fish in November 2020.
Commercial fishing vessels are required to have an automated emergency beacon that floats free and signals rescuers. But individuals are not required to have them.
A judge awarded nearly $1 million in damages to the families of the fishermen. U.S. District Judge John Woodcock ordered the distribution of the insurance proceeds from boat owner, Boat Aaron & Melissa Inc.