PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Two people died 45 miles off the coast of Portland when a fishing boat sank, the Maine Marine Patrol said.
Arnold “Joe” Nickerson IV, 60, of Arundel, and Chris Pinkham, 44, of Boothbay Harbor, died when Nickerson’s boat sank on Thursday, the patrol said. The cause of the accident that caused the boat to sink is still under investigation, the Portland Press Herald reported.
Port Clyde resident Randy Cushman, a longtime friend of Nickerson’s, pulled the bodies out of the water onto his boat. Cushman arrived at the scene just after a Coast Guard helicopter.
Nickerson’s vessel sent an emergency distress signal on Thursday afternoon, leading to a response that also included a plane, a second helicopter and a cutter ship.
Cushman said Nickerson’s boat was outfitted to harvest lobsters and groundfish such as cod and flounder.
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