Coast Guard releases names of men lost at sea in waters off Massachusetts as search is suspended

BOSTON — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search Monday at 4:40 p.m. for three missing fishermen in the waters off Massachusetts.

The three missing are:

• Gerald Bretal
• Mark Cormier Jr.
• Xavier Vega

Watchstanders at the Coast Guard District One command center initially received an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) alert Sunday at 3:18 p.m. from the fishing boat Leonardo, which capsized and sank 24 nautical miles southwest of Martha’s Vineyard.

Crewmembers from Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and rescued one person, Ernesto Santos, from a life raft.

The search spanned over 25 hours and includes the following assets:

• Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba
• Coast Guard Cutter Cobia
• Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod

It was reported the missing were not wearing survival suits or life jackets.

After all leads are exhausted, the Coast Guard suspends a search pending new information.