Coast Guard Searches for Mass. Fishermen

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. – The Coast Guard (search) searched Tuesday for five fisherman who were missing after their boat capsized and sank about 45 miles southeast of Nantucket (search). One man was rescued.

The New Bedford-based vessel with six crew members sent an emergency signal at about 4:45 p.m. Monday. Shortly after, a mayday followed, reporting that the Northern Edge had overturned and was sinking.

Coast Guard boats and aircraft continued to search Tuesday in high waves and freezing weather. Overnight temperatures were in the teens, with water temperature of 47 degrees and winds of 35 mph, authorities said.

Another fishing boat found crew member Pedro Furtado in a life raft Monday night. There was no sign of his crewmates, Coast Guard spokesman Andrew Shinn said.

"The boat was on one side. Then came a wave, and it just flipped over," Furtado told WHDH-TV. He said he threw himself on the raft and called his crewmates to follow, but they never came.

"I don't know what happened. It was so fast," he said. Based on his account, the other crew members likely did not have time to put on survival suits before falling into the water, Coast Guard officials said.

Air patrols spotted debris in the water Monday night, including a life ring and an empty life jacket, but there was no sign of the missing crew members or the 75-foot boat.