BOSTON — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Monday for three missing fishermen in the waters off Massachusetts.
Missing are: Gerald Bretal, Mark Cormier Jr. and Xavier Vega
Watchstanders at the Coast Guard District One command center initially received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) alert Sunday at 3:18 p.m. from the fishing boat Leonardo, which capsized and sank 24 nautical miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard.
Crewmembers from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and rescued one person, Ernesto Santos, from a life raft.
The search spanned over 25 hours and includes the following assets:
- Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba
- Coast Guard Cutter Cobia
- Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod
It was reported that the missing were not wearing survival suits or life jackets.
After all leads are exhausted, the Coast Guard suspends a search pending new information.
