4 Fishermen Missing After Boat Sinks Off Coast of Massachusetts

US Coast Guard

The United States Coast Guard is searching for four fishermen who went missing Monday morning after their fishing vessel sunk approximately 20 miles northeast of Provincetown, Massachusetts.

According to a press release, Coast Guard authorities in Boston received an alert at 1 a.m. from the 82-foot Emmy Rose's emergency position indicating radio beacon — a device that is used to notify search and rescue services in the event of an emergency.

Calls to the boat's satellite phone were not answered and so the Coast Guard launched helicopter and ship rescue crews. They found debris and an empty life raft at the Emmy Rose's last known location.

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Authorities described the conditions as 6 to 8-foot waves and winds of around 34 mph.

On Tuesday morning, the Coast Guard announced that "the search continues for four missing fishermen from the Emmy Rose... Cutter Vigorous crew searched throughout the night and an HC-144 Ocean Sentry fixed-wing aircrew will launch at first light to search."

"Over the last 32 hours, we have searched approximately 1,500 square miles. The search continues with #USCG Cutter Vigorous and Air Station Cape Cod crews for the four missing fishermen," they later tweeted at around 1 p.m. ET.

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The Coast Guard has yet to identify the missing fishermen, though a family member of Jeff Matthews, one of the crew members, came forward to News Center Maine.

"I just fell to the ground. I didn't want to believe it," Matthew's daughter Reyann told the outlet upon hearing the news.

"I just know if he's out there," she added, "he won't give up."

The outlet reported that all four fisherman are from Maine.