Coast Guard IDs 3 dead boaters pulled from water off Cape Ann as search for 4th person is suspended

CAPE ANN, Mass. — The search for the fourth and final missing boater who was last seen leaving Hampton Harbor in New Hampshire on Wednesday morning was suspended Friday, less than 24 hours after three dead boaters were pulled from the water off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, officials said.

Search crews found three unresponsive people after locating an overturned vessel in the water about seven miles northeast of Cape Ann on Thursday afternoon after tracking their last known cellphone data, according to the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard identified them as Jia Fu Zheng, 38, Daxiao Lin, 43, both of Quincy, and Jaime Liu, 42, of Litchfield, New Hampshire.

After scouring more than 1,567 square nautical miles over the span of 27 hours for the remaining missing boater, the Coast Guard called off the search Friday. That boater was identified as Bin “Michael” Cai.

“We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of these boaters,” said Capt. Amy Florentino of Coast Guard Sector Northern New England said in a statement. “The decision to suspend a search and rescue case is one of the most difficult decisions I must make, but we want the public, and especially Mr. Cai’s family that we did everything in our power to find them. The water temperature in New England at this time of the year dramatically reduces the survivability rate for anyone that enters the water, and we urge all boaters to keep the air and water temperatures in mind when planning their voyages this spring.”

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Missing boater

All four boaters left Hampton Harbor in a 17-foot white center console boat, with a blue canopy and single outboard motor, around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning. A family member of a person on the boat reported them missing when the vessel didn’t return by sunset.

Officials said the boat’s reported destination was fishing grounds near Jeffreys Ledge.

Jeffreys Ledge is a major morphologic feature in the western Gulf of Maine located about 50 kilometers off the coast of New Hampshire. It also extends to within 10 kilometers of Cape Ann, Massachusetts.

A truck the missing boaters were in was left in the parking lot Thursday by Hampton Harbor as crews searched the waters all day for them.

Coast Guard helicopters, aircraft, cutters, and boats were all involved in the extensive search.

Anyone with information regarding this case is urged to contact 207-767-0303.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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