Shipwreck, apparent human remains found 7 years after fishing boat sank off Rhode Island

September 23, 2026 / 10:17 AM EDT / CBS News

A fishing vessel that sank off the coast of Rhode Island on New Year's Day in 2019 with three men aboard has likely been located, an oceanic protection non-profit said Tuesday. The investigation also found humans remains believed to belong to one of the two fishermen who died in the wreck.

The F/V Mistress was a 52-foot commercial fishing vessel that sent out a distress call shortly after midnight on Jan. 1, 2019. Three men were aboard: Captain Oscar Diaz, his son Tim, and his nephew John Ansay. According to the distress call, the ship had hit rough weather near Block Island and began taking on water, local media reported. Another fishing boat in the area responded and found and rescued Tim Diaz.

Oscar Diaz and John Ansay were not located, despite days of searching that crossed over 2,150 nautical miles and a Coast Guard investigation. The ship itself could also not be found — until this week.

Green Oceans, a non-profit organization that works to protect oceans, sponsored an investigation to try and locate the wreck site. In July, a sonar scan identified a potential wreck site 92 feet…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/entertainment/