One body found, second man sought after dragger sinks

One body was found and Coast Guard crews, other local agencies and fishermen were searching by air and sea for a second person in Cobscook Bay on Thursday morning, March 26, after a 34-foot fishing vessel from Roque Bluffs with two people aboard sank Wednesday afternoon, March 25.

The body of Loren Lank of Lubec was discovered in a debris field near Cooper Island ledge, along with the pilot house of the dragger All American. Lank and 19-year-old Logan Preston of Roque Bluffs had been fishing aboard that vessel, which belonged to Preston's father, Roger Preston of Roque Bluffs.

At 4:10 p.m., the crew of the fishing vessel Perfect Choice reported by radio to Coast Guard Station Eastport that they observed a debris field along the North Lubec shoreline that contained a survival suit and what appeared to be a submerged boat. The submerged boat turned out to be the All American, which had last been seen around 3 p.m. dragging for sea urchins near Red Island, farther up in Cobscook Bay, according to a report from the crew of the fishing vessel Tide Pool.

Coast Guard Sector Northern New England launched a 25-foot response boat from Coast Guard Station Eastport and issued an urgent marine information broadcast asking boaters in the area to help with the search.

"We hit it hard and we hit it fast," says Kenneth Stuart, search and rescue specialist for the Coast Guard, describing the Coast Guard's response to news of the missing vessel. A Falcon jet and Jayhawk helicopter from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod and the 87' Coast Guard cutter Moray from Jonesport assisted with the search on Wednesday afternoon and evening, and the Maine Marine Patrol recovered Lank's body near the debris field at 5:15 p.m. near Cooper Island ledge, across from Shackford Head, Eastport.

On-scene weather conditions at the time of the accident were seas up to two feet, winds around seven miles per hour, visibility around 12 miles and the water temperature 370 Fahrenheit, according to the Coast Guard.

"We are coordinating search efforts among several Coast Guard units and with local agencies," said Lt. Lisa Tinker, the command officer at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. "Our search duty patterns are based on drift models surrounding the debris field." The debris reportedly extended from Razor Island to Rodgers' Island.

As of Thursday morning, March 26, a Maine State Police dive team was aboard one of the two Maine Marine Patrol vessels searching for Preston. Also assisting with the recovery effort were several fishing vessels, as well the Moray along with her smaller boat, the 41' utility boat and 25' rescue boat from Station Eastport and an airplane from the Maine Marine Patrol.