One is dead but two were rescued by the Coast Guard after their fishing boat sank 12 miles off Thatcher Island on Thursday night.

A good Samaritan aboard the Foxy Lady notified watchstanders at the Coast Guard Sector Boston command center about 3 p.m. that the fishing boat Orin C was disabled and needed a tow.

The Foxy Lady began towing Orin C toward shore, but high wind and waves impeded the effort, according to the Coast Guard. A large wave reportedly crashed over Orin C’s bow, causing the boat to flood.

Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Boston, who had been monitoring the tow on VHF radio, launched a 47-foot Motor Life Boat crew from Station Gloucester.

The crew arrived on scene, passed a pump to the Orin C crew, hooked up tow, and made way toward Gloucester against 30 knot winds and 8-foot seas, the Coast Guard said in a statement

While initially effective, the pump was eventually unable to keep up with flooding coming over the boat’s bow and it began sinking quickly.

Per protocol, the Coast Guard crew broke tow and maneuvered swiftly back toward Orin C for the three fishermen.

Read the full story at Gloucester Daily Times >>