Marine Accident Report - Fishing Vessel M/V LOBSTA-1 Capsizing and Sinking in the Atlantic Ocean, Point Judith, Rhode Island, September 23, 1978

摘要

About 0100 e.d.t., on September 23, 1978, the fishing vessel M/V LOBSTA-I capsized in the Atlantic Ocean about 47 nmi south-southeast of Point Judith, Rhode Island, while en route to its lobster fishing area. The capsized vessel was sighted about 12 hours after the accident by a tankship. Subsequently, a Coast Guard helicopter sighted the capsized vessel but it sank before a Coast Guard cutter could reach it. The Coast Guard conducted an extensive search in the area but found no survivors. The LOBSTA-I was later located resting upright on the bottom at a 234-ft water depth, and photographs, showing damage to the vessel's hull plating were taken by a shipboard controlled, underwater vehicle. All five crewmen are missing and presumed dead. The Safety Board considered many factors during the investigation, including vessel stability, operating practices, weather forecasting, and the possibility of collision.