POINT JUDITH, R.I. — Sept. 22, 2026 — More than seven years after the commercial fishing vessel F/V Mistress sank near Block Island, a Green Oceans-sponsored investigation has located a wreck believed to be the missing boat, along with apparent human remains, about 50 feet from turbine No. 1 at the Block Island Wind Farm.
The Mistress sank on Jan. 1, 2019. Captain Oscar Diaz and crew member John Ansay were lost. Diaz’s son, Tim Diaz, was rescued from a life raft by another fishing vessel. The U.S. Coast Guard closed its investigation without finding the wreck.
Green Oceans said the discovery may offer answers and some closure to the families and the regional fishing community. The group is asking the federal government to reopen the marine-casualty investigation and independently review the new evidence, including the wreck’s proximity to the wind farm.
Coast Guard records from the original search say a helicopter responding to mayday calls aborted after about 37 minutes, citing high winds, limited visibility, a low ceiling, and proximity to wind turbines. After the hull could not be found, the wreck was recorded as lost.
A search team identified a wreck by side-scan sonar on July 27, 2026. Divers inspected the site on Aug. 30 and documented features consistent with the Mistress, including a propeller and shaft, fuel tanks, net drum, deck hatch, and processing equipment. Official identification is still pending. The wreck sits in about 92 feet of water.
Green Oceans has sent sonar images, underwater photos, and other records to the Coast Guard, NTSB, Rhode Island officials, and other agencies. It has asked the U.S. Department of the Interior to coordinate an interagency review, secure the site for forensic analysis, and pause nearby operations until the evidence is evaluated.
The group also said later federal approvals for other offshore wind projects treated navigation-safety impacts as “minimal.” Trustee Barbara Chapman asked: “What is ‘minimal’ about the loss of two men’s lives and the consequences for the families they left behind?”
President Michael Lombardi said Green Oceans hopes the find brings answers to the families and that authorities will now examine how offshore infrastructure may affect search-and-rescue operations.
