Coast Guard: Rapid loss of stability caused deadly sinking of fishing boat off Mass. coast

Coast Guard: Instability sank Mass. fishing boat

BOSTON — The Coast Guard says a rapid loss of stability was the likely cause of a deadly 2009 fishing boat accident off Massachusetts that prompted criticism of the service’s slow response.

The agency said in a statement Friday night that its investigation found the trawler Patriot capsized very suddenly, killing boat captain Matteo Russo and his father-in-law, John Orlando.

The Coast Guard says officials will probably never know exactly what happened when the vessel sank off Gloucester (GLAH’-stur) on Jan. 3, 2009.

Russo’s wife alerted the Coast Guard after she was notified a fire alarm was sounding on the boat. But search and rescue boats were not launched for more two hours. Authorities say they didn’t receive a distress call and couldn’t immediately determine the boat’s location.