The U.S. Coast Guard rescued three survivors from a sunken tugboat Saturday in the icy Atlantic Ocean, but reported that one crew member had died and his body was recovered.
The three survivors were treated for hypothermia and reported in fair condition. Their identities and the identity of the fatality were not disclosed.
The 65-foot tugboat Sea Bear was traveling from Shinnecock to New York City when the crew called a vessel traffic service to report that the tug was taking on water, said Coast Guard Command Duty Officer Mark Averill. The vessel service notified the Coast Guard in New Haven, Conn., at about 2:50 p.m. and rescue boats and a helicopter were dispatched to the location.
As Coast Guard rescuers approached, the tugboat's emergency transmission died. The vessel sank one mile off the coast of Fire Island Pines.
Despite a thick blanket of fog, a Coast Guard boat from Fire Island reached the location in about 45 minutes and found the three survivors wearing emergency immersion suits, Averill said. They were huddled together in the water.
The water temperature was 37 degrees, Averill said.
The Coast Guard searched and at about 5 p.m. found the fourth tug crew member, who wasn't wearing an immersion suit. His body was found near the spot where the vessel sank.