A version of this story was published for print, on stands Jan. 8. It can be found here.
The scalloping boat that capsized off Cow Bay on New Year’s Day, resulting in the deaths of a beloved Island couple — Roy Scheffer, 77, and Patricia Bergeron, 69 — was towed to Edgartown Harbor on Saturday, the beginning of a process to evaluate the condition of the boat and to investigate how the accident occurred.
U.S. Coast Guard and local officials say that a sudden squall with unusually high gusts, heavy snow and waves between four and six feet hit at approximately 11 am on New Year’s Day, around the time of the first distress call.
As of Sunday afternoon, the vessel, a skiff with a flat bottom, lay inverted and tethered to a piling in the Edgartown Harbor near the Edgartown Yacht Club.
The couple, well known and widely respected by the Island’s community, were out on New Year’s Day harvesting bay scallops. Scheffer, a legendary boat captain and patriarch of a prominent fishing family, and Bergeron, a pillar of the Portuguese-American community and longtime employee of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, were working together as they often did, when the weather suddenly turned.
Photos of the inverted boat reveal a thick, new polypropylene line entangled in the propeller. That supports theories made by local fisherman and first responders that amid rough weather conditions, the boat’s drag line used to haul up bushels of bay scallops got tangled in the boat’s propeller. That entanglement would have likely killed the engine and left the couple without power as the boat, which has a low transom, started taking on water rapidly and sinking before it capsized.
According to the U.S. Coast Guard, first responders received a call for help at 11:02 am on New Year’s Day. Rescue teams were dispatched from Air Station Cape Cod and Station Woods Hole. After locating the sinking skiff off Cow Bay, they recovered Scheffer and Bergeron from the water, both were unresponsive and were transported to Oak Bluffs Harbor before being rushed to the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, where they were pronounced deceased hours later.
Recovery operations for the capsized vessel began on Saturday morning with the Edgartown harbormaster, Massachusetts Environmental Police, and local boats on scene a half-mile off Cow Bay.
While the boat remains inverted but afloat in the harbor, officials are working on a plan to right it, said the Edgartown Harbormaster Gary Kovack.
“The boat is back in Edgartown Harbor; they were able to tow it in yesterday (it’s still capsized,)” Kovack wrote in a text message to The Times. He wrote that “MEP was on scene” and that officials were “still formulating a plan to re-right it.”
The answers to the basics questions should already be know by the authorities:
Were the bodies of the deceased wearing life jackets?
Was there a working VHF radio on the boat and was a mayday call issued?
Did the vessel have positive floatation compartments or was it just a bathtub that once filled with water, would sink?
As experienced as these people seem to be, we cannot assume that would make them “safe boaters” that follow the basic rules of being on the water during a cold day.
Dear Bill,
Two beloved Islanders lost their lives, doing what they loved, and doing it together. A little compassion and empathy would go a long way. There was a sudden squall on Sunday morning – my husband and I noticed the wind and snow whip up out of nowhere when the morning had been clear and calm up until that point. Commercial fishing is one of the most dangerous of occupations; unfortunately even our friends and neighbors are at risk, even with a lifetime of experience on the water. My condolences go out to the Scheffer and Bergeron families and everyone whose lives they touched. Thank you first responders, Coasties, and the entire MVH ER team.
There was a rope of yet unknown (publicly ) origin wrapped around the propeller in several photos. . A dock line, An Anchor line, or a lobster pot buoy line are just a few of the possibilities that many have contributed to this tragedy .
Thank You Jane
Calls for compassion and empathy might not have been needed if the answer to my first two questions had been YES. The Coasties and First Responders would be the loudest ones to be advocating for WEARING a life jacket (having one isn’t enough) and having a handheld VHF handy. Lessons can be learned from this tragedy and ‘thoughts and prayers’, which are nice to read, won’t save the next fisherman’s life.
Just wear it!:
https://necenter.org/portfolio/lifejackets-
for-fishermen/
Mr Simpson, have you no sense of empathy, or shame even? Do you think it is appropriate for public slander and disparaging comments within weeks of the families tragedy? I think the overwhelmingly proper answer would be “absolutely not”. These were beloved people of this entire community and regardless of the circumstances they deserve respect.
Thanks, John and Zeke – and Bill, there is a time and place for everything, including raising the alarm about boating safety. Read the room, dude.
I find your comments unnecessary. As far as wearing a life jacket, it is likely they would have died of exposure in short time due to the frigid water temperature. My grandfather was fishing off of Noman’s in October, 1932 when his boat was caught in an unexpected Nor’Easter back when weather forcasting was not what it is today. His body was found wearing a life jacket. He did not drown, he died of exposure from the cold water. Your crusade here on wearing a life jacket is insensitive, untimely, and misplaced in this particular situation. Let it go for today, please.
With the squall that erupted ( which changed the wind direction , speed and dropped the temp 10 degrees and With the possibilities of which line ( or what type of line ) Entangled in the prop such as the lines connecting the dredge beam, the bridle and the main warp) the boat could have capsized very quickly so as to whether they had a handheld or not and considering the temp of the water the life jackets ( i do not know if they were wearing them) would not have helped. Roy had been on the water his whole life and Captained his own commercial fishing boat and started fishing in the 60’s and continued till the day he was lost. He knew what he was doing. I myself worked the water in the seventies and eighties and even once went out with Roy. So please sir…With all due respect …HAVE some respect compassion and empathy for those that loved them and keep your second guessing to yourself.