The following report is a compilation of information from several sources.

At 12:23 PM on Thursday ,January 23rd, 2020, the United Sates Coast Guard received a distress signal from the Hayley Ann’s emergency locator beacon. At the time, the vessel was about 45 nautical miles southeast of Portland, Maine. The Coast Guard sent a fixed-wing aircraft and two helicopters from Air Station Cape Cod to search for the boat. The Coast Guard cutter Steelhead also responded.

An air rescue crew in a fixed-wing plane first spotted the fishing boat as it sank, along with an empty life raft floating nearby. About 20 minutes later, the crew of a rescue helicopter arrived and saw two people in the water. The helicopter lowered a rescue swimmer into the ocean. The swimmer confirmed that the raft was empty and that two people in the water were unresponsive. About 4:30 PM, the Coast Guard tweeted, “The fishing vessel Ella Christine arrived on scene to assist in the recovery of the two persons.”

Arnold “Joe” Nickerson IV, a 60-year-old fisherman from Arundel, and 44-year-old crew member Chris Pinkham of Boothbay Harbor died when Nickerson’s 42-foot boat sank, according to the Maine Marine Patrol.

While the cause of the sinking is still under investigation, seas in the area at the time of the distress call were reported to be 5 to 8 feet.

It should be noted that this photo of the Hayley Ann was taken before it was converted from a lobster boat to a fishing trawler with the addition to the stern of a reel, net and associated equipment.

• FISHERYNATION Article
• Portland Press Herald Article