BOSTON – The Coast Guard sent a fishing crew back to port today because their lobster boat was missing important life-saving equipment while fishing about five miles southeast of Portland, Maine.
The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Hammerhead, from Woods Hole, Mass., boarded the 38-foot Ninatoria II at 1 p.m., and discovered the boat had no life raft or fire extinguishers on board.
The voyage was terminated at 1:30 p.m., and a 47-foot rescue boat from Station South Portland escorted the Ninatoria II and its crew of three back to the dock in Portland.
“We instructed the master of the Ninatoria II to stay at the dock until they had the right safety gear on board and were cleared by a Coast Guard inspector,” said Lt. Aurora Fleming, of the First District Command Center.
“Working at sea is dangerous in any instance, but to be out there without safety gear could be deadly,” she said.
