Divers say they found the long-lost fishing boat F/V Mistress and apparent human remains just 50 feet from a Block Island wind turbine—seven years after the distress call.
Story Snapshot
- Dive team located a wreck believed to be the F/V Mistress in 92 feet of water.
- Green Oceans asked the Interior Department to lead an interagency probe and reopen the Coast Guard case.
- Apparent human remains were documented at the site; identification work is pending.
- The wreck lies near Block Island Wind Farm hardware, raising safety and search questions.
Wreck Discovery Near Turbine Spurs Renewed Attention
Green Oceans, a nonprofit focused on ocean safety, sponsored a private underwater survey near the Block Island Wind Farm. Divers reported a wreck that matches key features of the F/V Mistress in about 92 feet of water.
They placed the site roughly 50 feet from a turbine base, within the wind farm footprint. The group says the discovery occurred on August 30 during a documented dive effort. The team also reported apparent human remains at the location, which authorities will need to examine.
A fishing vessel that sank off the coast of Rhode Island on New Year's Day in 2019 with three men aboard has likely been located. https://t.co/ktDJj5eA9T
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 23, 2026
The find carries weight because the United States Coast Guard closed its original case without locating the boat after classifying the vessel and two crew as lost. Green Oceans argues the new site fills that gap and can help answer what happened on the night the vessel sank.
The group asked the United States Department of the Interior to coordinate an interagency review, including reopening the Coast Guard inquiry, and to ensure public transparency of the findings.
What Happened On New Year’s 2019
The F/V Mistress sent a distress call shortly after midnight on January 1, 2019. Three men were aboard. Responders searched but did not find the boat. The Coast Guard later classified the crew as lost. That left families and the fishing community with grief and uncertainty.
The absence of a hull, debris field, or remains created a hole in the record. The newly reported wreck site offers a focal point for investigators and a path to bring answers to those families.
Green Oceans’ team says the wreck exhibits numerous features that match the F/V Mistress. Those include hull characteristics and deck layouts that align with the known vessel.
While the Coast Guard has not yet confirmed the identity, the proximity, depth, and reported visual evidence form a coherent picture for a targeted review.
The discovery also creates an evidence chain for potential forensic work on the remains and any artifacts that can be safely recovered without damaging the site.
Why Proximity To The Wind Farm Matters
The wreck sits near a Block Island Wind Farm turbine, which adds operational and safety questions to the case. Green Oceans asked federal authorities to assess whether wind farm infrastructure or activity may have played a part in the casualty or the rescue effort, or affected search access and detection.
That request includes a review of operations and maintenance practices and whether mariners face added risk in waters crowded by towers, foundations, and undersea cables or zones that constrain movement.
If turbine proximity had no effect, a transparent record will say so. If procedures or layouts increased risk, policy should change. Either way, accountability and practical safety beat spin and delay.
Next Steps: Identification, Evidence, And Accountability
The reported remains now move to center stage. Forensic experts can determine if they are human, whether they connect to the missing crew, and what condition suggests about the sinking.
That process may include anthropology, dental review, and DNA comparison with family references. Proper chain of custody matters, so any transfer to state or federal examiners should be logged and preserved. A careful approach honors the dead and strengthens any future conclusions.
F/V MISTRESS Shipwreck ‘Lost’ Near Block Island Located After Seven Yearshttps://t.co/ndLVSFdQZi@GreenOceansRI @WSJ @nypost @FoxNews @BBC @guardian @fishstewardship @ACKCurrent @TheStonesEG @mtkblb @njcoast_protect @Orsted @BITimes @thy_back_door @projo @NewBedfordLight
— Charlotte Licholai (@MrsLicholai) September 22, 2026
An interagency review can knit together dive imagery, sonar maps, vessel records, and weather and current data from the night of the loss. The Coast Guard case file, if reopened, can revisit search patterns, drift models, and coverage gaps.
The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and wind farm operators can provide turbine logs, maintenance-vessel tracks, and safety-zone practices. Each piece can test whether the wreck’s position was searchable in 2019 and whether infrastructure or rules affected the response.
The Bottom Line
A private survey funded by Green Oceans surfaced the first concrete site tied to the F/V Mistress story in seven years. The location, near a wind turbine, raises policy questions that Washington can answer with records, not rhetoric. The families want closure.
The fleet wants clear guidance. The public wants a fair accounting. A prompt, transparent, fact-driven investigation can deliver all three while showing respect for those who work and die at sea.
Sources:
cbsnews.com, businesswire.com, turnto10.com
