Tug Sinks off Long Island; One Dead, Three Rescued

A tugboat sank off New York's Fire Island on Saturday, and one crew member died and three were pulled from the icy water by the U.S. Coast Guard.

 

The vessel, the Sea Bear, went down off Fire Island as it was returning to New York from the area's Shinnecock Inlet, said Coast Guard duty officer Mark Averill in New Haven, Connecticut.

 

The Sea Bear notified a vessel service it was taking on water, and the Coast Guard dispatched rescue boats and a helicopter, he said.

 

Hindered by heavy fog, the Coast Guard found three crew members in the 37 Fahrenheit water after about 45 minutes of searching. They were wearing protective immersion suits.

 

The body of a fourth crew member, who was not wearing an immersion suit, was pulled from the water, Averill said. The cause of the sinking is under investigation.