Coast Guard Probes Deadly NJ Fishing Boat Accident

The mystery of what caused a fishing boat to capsize off the coast of New Jersey earlier this month has taken Coast Guard investigators to Texas.

The Coast Guard said Thursday that it at Port of Houston inspecting a commercial ship docked there.

Coast Guard Capt. Meredith Austin said the vessel was determined to be in the area around 10 miles off New Jersey’s Long Beach Island where the smaller boat, the Mandy Ness, capsized on Jan. 10.

She said Coast Guard boarded the vessel in Virginia one day after the accident and that this time, investigators were seeking interviews with crew members.

She said the Coast Guard is not releasing the name of the commercial vessel due to the ongoing investigation.

Capt. Jim Mears died when his boat went down.

Trevor Horan, a 22-year-old crewman who was rescued by another fishing vessel said he believed the 44-foot vessel was “knocked over” in a collision.

Waters were relatively calm at the time the boat capsized.

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