Authorities Rescue 3 Fishermen From Sinking Vessel in Freezing Waters of Massachusetts Coast After Sharp-Eyed Woman Calls 911

Authorities saved three fishermen from sinking vessel amid freezing waters of Massachusetts Coast, thanks to the sharp-eyed woman who immediately phoned 911 to report the incident.

On Tuesday afternoon, the 55-foot (16.75-meter) Bing Bing went down so quickly about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from shore that the crew didn't have time to put on their survival gear or even make a distress call. According to officials, they were hanging to a piece of hose for almost 45 minutes in the water, which was 42 degrees (5.5 degrees Celsius).

Woman sees, reports boat sinking off Massachusetts coast

Even though the boat was so far away, Pam Harght was at her computer on a work-related video chat in her Marshfield home and witnessed it sink. It was a clear day, and her home is high. It turned out she was the first and only one to phone 911 despite the fact that she assumed other people had previously called for help. Officials informed Harght that the guys only had around 5 minutes to live before they were rescued, according to Fox News.

After their huge boat sank off the coast of Massachusetts, three fishermen were abandoned in the water without life jackets and "battling severe sea conditions," according to authorities. According to the Scituate Police Department, they were "clinging" to the boat's fishing gear for their life while submerged in diesel fuel and freezing water until rescuers came and hauled them out.

On Feb. 1, police said, the men suffered "serious hypothermia" when a witness claimed that their 40-50-foot fishing boat fell over and soon went beneath about one mile from Humarock Beach in Scituate. As the guys were seen floating in the dark, murky water, part of which was perhaps dyed a deep crimson by the diesel fuel; police drone footage showed repeated attempts tossing rescue rings to them as they were seen drifting in the dark, muddy water.

Scituate Fire Chief John Murphy remarked, "They were helpless." Due to their extreme cold, the guys were unable to assist themselves into the boat. While speaking with the source, Murphy stated, "We probably would've discovered them on the beach tomorrow realistically." According to authorities, the males were transferred to a local hospital after being saved, as per Miami Herald.

Fishermen illegally sell 2.6 million lbs. of Atlantic herring

According to federal investigators in Maine, a group of fishermen and a business are suspected of unlawfully selling more than 2.6 million pounds of Atlantic herring to fish dealers and "unpermitted purchasers." According to an indictment, the captains and crew of the F/V Western Sea ship, owned by Western Sea Inc., "sold much more" of their catch than what was reported to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

In a press statement issued on Jan. 28, the US Attorney's Office for the District of Maine said the five fishermen from Maine and one from New Hampshire are charged with conspiracy, mail fraud, and obstruction of justice. Falsifying fishing records is another charge leveled against them.

According to court filings, between June 2016 and September 2019, they "were paid directly by fish merchants and lobster vessel owners for the unreported herring." Glenn Robbins, a 75-year-old Maine resident who owns Western Sea Inc., and was designated skipper of the F/V Western Sea ship in the indictment, is one of the accused fishermen.

Other fishermen, such as Ethan Chase (44), Neil Herrick (46), Andrew Banow (35), Stephen Little (56), and Jason Parent (49), have been charged as well. The attorney representing both Robbins and Chase has been contacted by McClatchy News for comment.

According to the news release, the government agency "relies on accurate information to create rules aimed to guarantee sustainable fisheries." According to the indictment, the crew of the F/V Western Sea embarked on approximately 80 voyages to fish for Atlantic herring in the Gulf of Maine region between June 2016 and September 2019, The Charlotte Observer reported.