A North Haven fisherman is facing a manslaughter charge in connection with the June death of a passenger aboard a commercial fishing vessel off Vinalhaven, Maine, according to reporting by the Mid-Coast Villager.
Geoffrey E. Barrett, 39, was operating the 43-foot commercial lobster and seine vessel Long Faces on June 18 when 57-year-old Marshall Ames of North Haven died following an incident near Hurricane Sound.
Barrett was initially arrested that evening and charged with felony operating a watercraft under the influence, assault, and refusing to submit to arrest or detention. The charges have since been expanded to include Class A manslaughter, two felony counts of reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon, aggravated failure to render assistance after a watercraft accident, and several other offenses.
According to the criminal complaint, prosecutors allege Barrett acted recklessly or with criminal negligence and caused Ames’ death. The reckless conduct charges allege Barrett created a substantial risk of serious bodily injury to Ames and another passenger, Theodore H. Lane, using the fishing vessel as a dangerous weapon.
Maine Marine Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard responded around 4:30 p.m. June 18 to a report of a person in the water near Hurricane Sound. A good Samaritan recovered Ames and performed CPR before he was brought to Dyer Island, where emergency medical personnel pronounced him dead.
Conditions were rough at the time of the incident. National Weather Service buoys recorded winds of more than 20 knots with higher gusts, while seas had increased to roughly 8 to 9 feet by late afternoon, according to the Mid-Coast Villager.
Ames’ cause of death has not been released because of the ongoing investigation, and a Maine Marine Patrol affidavit filed after the incident remains sealed.
Barrett remains free on $500 bail and is scheduled to make his initial appearance Nov. 5, although that could change if a grand jury issues indictments before then.
