Three Rescued After Fishing Vessel Sinks Off Nantucket Following Collision

Three fishermen were rescued early Wednesday morning following a collision at sea in thick fog that resulted in the sinking of the F/V Triple Threat off Nantucket.

The 55-foot F/V Triple Threat, out of Beverly, Mass., was approximately 23 nautical miles east of the island when its crew issued a mayday around 3:29 a.m. on Wednesday that was picked up by Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England. They stated the Triple Threat had collided with another vessel and was rapidly taking on water, according to Rajesh Harrilal, who handles external affairs for the Coast Guard's District 1 office in Boston.

"Sector Southeastern New England issued an Urgent Marine Information Broadcast and launched a crew from Coast Guard Station Brant Point in Nantucket," Harrilal said in an email to the Current.

Coast Guard Station Brant Point master chief Lance Wiser confirmed that one of his crews from the island quickly responded to the mayday call.

"My crew heard the initial radio broadcasts around 3:30 and immediately started preparing to get underway," Wiser said. They launched one of Station Brant's 47-foot motor lifeboats and headed east to locate the Triple Threat. As it was underway, the crew was informed the boat had sunk, and the three crew members had been picked up by another fishing vessel, the 141-foot Endeavour, out of Gloucester, Mass.

"The crew of the Triple Threat donned survival suits and all three were picked up by the F/V Endeavour, where they were found to have no serious injuries," Harrilal said.

Wiser confirmed his crew from Nantucket boarded the Endeavour, assessed the three fishermen from the Triple Threat, and after finding them in good health and determining there had been no violations, allowed the Endeavour to bring them back to New Bedford.

Wiser and Harrilal both said it was not yet clear whether the Endeavour was the vessel that collided with the Triple Threat, and that the incident remains under investigation.

"I'm very glad there were no fatalities or major injuries," Wiser said. "Unfortunately, a boat sank, but all lives were saved."