Fishing boat missing off Cape Cod, GPS unit found on beach
An extensive Coast Guard search is underway after a fishing boat went missing off Cape Cod Sunday morning. The first clue that the 30-foot fishing boat named the Seahorse had gone missing off the coast of Massachusetts was a father and daughter finding the boat's GPS on the beach.
The Coast Guard said the missing captain is Shawn Arsenault. His family said his girlfriend was on board too, adding that they're really worried about them and pray they are found.
"We received reports that he was seen throwing electronic equipment overboard. We can't confirm what exactly was thrown overboard. There was a Facebook comment saying that it was his old GPS," Coast Guard Lt. Quinn LeCain told WBZ-TV in an email Wednesday.
GPS found
Sam Miller and her dad found a GPS navigator saying "F/V Seahorse" while they were walking on the beach Sunday morning.
"Just hoping they find him quickly," said Sam Miller. "I noticed in the surf there was something floating, so I went down to see what it was, and it turned out to be, we could tell it was a GPS unit off of a boat."
That Sunday Sam and her dad went to Rock Harbor in Orleans trying to return the GPS and left note on Arsenault's truck, but after still no word Monday, they went back again then called the harbormaster.
"My family went to Rock Harbor a couple of times and saw that the nobody had picked up the note-the truck was still there so my dad contacted the harbormaster and let him know what was going on and said, 'can you let us know if everything OK with this boat,'" said Miller. "And that person, 'responded thanks for letting us know we'll look into this.'"
Now the Coast Guard is actively scouring the waters of Cape Cod Bay.
Cellphone pinged off Chatham
The Seahorse was known to fish near the Target shipwreck off Eastham, but officials said a cellphone believed to be on board last pinged two miles off Chatham.
"We activated the Cape Cod Mutual Response System," said Coast Guard Commander Cliff Graham.
The fog and thunderstorms didn't help with visibility in the search.
"Up today we are under a small craft advisory," said Commander Graham. "Our search efforts are a little diminished because of the weather."
As the search continues, the captain's family and those who found the GPS are hoping for some good news.
"I would like to be optimistic because the alternative is not so great," said Miller. "Hopefully he'll just come chugging back into the harbor and be like what's all the fuss about?"
The Coast Guard said they don't think the weather on Sunday factored into the missing boat, adding to the mystery. They will reassess Wednesday morning to see how the search continues.
