CAPE MAY, N.J. – A scallop boat was supposed to return to port on the day that it sank off the New Jersey coast in March, killing six of the seven crew members on board.
Capt. Royal Smith Sr. broke down at a Coast Guard hearing Tuesday as he testified that the Lady Mary was just a few bags short of what its crew wanted to get from the sea before heading back to its berth in Cape May.
Smith became emotional and was unable to continue, prompting a recess in the hearing.
He lost two sons in the March 24 tragedy.
Smith's lawyer says he thinks the vessel was struck by another boat, which left the scene. That scenario is one of several the Coast Guard is evaluating.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox