The Chief Medical Examiner’s Office has confirmed the body that was recovered from a sunken fishing vessel off the coast of Downeast Maine is that of a commercial fisherman who went missing last month.
Chester Barrett’s body was recovered from his sunken scallop boat, Sudden Impact, by a team of highly skilled volunteer divers Sunday morning.
Barrett’s son, Aaron, was also on board the 34-foot vessel when it sank on Jan. 18. The two were moving the Sudden Impact from Cobscook Bay State Park in Edmunds to Eastern Harbor in South Addison when they encountered rough conditions and planned to seek refuge in Cutler.
Members of the U.S. Coast Guard and other crews searched 950 square miles of ocean and coastline for more than 42 combined hours before the search was suspended on Jan. 19 due to safety concerns.
Before the search was suspended, local fishermen were able to locate an object in 160 feet of water near Moose Cove at the mouth of the Moose River, which is between the towns of Cutler and Lubec. Search efforts resumed on Jan. 21 and crews were able to confirm that sunken object was the Sudden Impact, and what was believed to be a body was found on board the vessel.
The Maine Marine Patrol said the divers who recovered Chester Barrett’s body faced difficult conditions, including air temperatures near zero degrees, extreme tidal currents and limited underwater visibility.