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Coast Guard officials say they are looking into safety policies and procedures after the tow of a Gloucester fishing boat went fatally wrong last month.

“We’re doing a thorough investigation” in conjunction with the National Transportation Safety Board, Coast Guard spokesman Ross Ruddell said Monday, while the Coast Guard was in the process of towing in another boat that had become disabled off Nantucket.

The investigation into the December incident will involve a review of safety policies, including whether to stock rescue vessels with defibrillators, Ruddell said. Currently, Coast Guard helicopters carry the life-saving equipment, but rescue boats are not required to do so.

Gloucester fishing boat captain David “Heavy D” Sutherland, 47, died Dec. 3 when his boat the Orin C went under while being towed by the Coast Guard in heavy seas off Cape Ann.

Read the full story at the Cape Cod Times >>

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