Coast Guard suspends search for fisherman off coast of Cape Ann after recovering 3 bodies
HAMPTON, N.H. - The Coast Guard suspended the search for a missing fisherman on Friday, one day after crews recovered the bodies of three of his friends.
The four fishermen were last seen on Wednesday in Hampton, New Hampshire, where they left to go fishing off Jeffreys Ledge, which is about 50 miles offshore. Many fishermen WBZ-TV spoke to said the conditions Wednesday morning were rough.
Their overturned boat was found Thursday afternoon off the coast of Rockport, Massachusetts and the bodies were found shortly after.
The Coast Guard identified the three found as 38-year-old Jia Fu Zheng of Quincy, 43-year-old Daxiao Lin of Quincy, and 42-year-old Jaime Liu of Litchfield, New Hampshire. Bin "Michael" Cai remains missing.
Commercial lobsterman Randy Campolini urged recreational fishermen to be careful and take precautions when going out on the water, especially this time of year.
"If you're not used to it, this is the worst time of year," said Campolini. "The weather is kind of nice and people get the urge to get out fishing, get in the boat, but it's actually the most dangerous time of year cause you're not ready for the weather to turn like that out there."
Commercial fishermen recommend paying very close attention to the weather and having safety devices onboard, including a marine radio.