Woman reported missing after going overboard on ferry intentionally went into water

Officials continue to search for a woman who went overboard on a ferry Monday evening as details begin to be revealed.

At approximately 6:30 p.m., the Portsmouth Police were alerted that a female passenger had fallen into the water from the Prudence Island Ferry and was now missing.

According to police, the ferry had departed Bristol at 5:45pm and was on its way to Prudence Island. The Coast Guard, Bristol, and Portsmouth worked alongside several other agencies searching the area waters for several hours. High winds, darkness, and rough seas hampered the search effort. The search was called off at approximately 11:00 p.m. and resumed this morning at approximately 9:00 a.m.

While the search was ongoing, members of the Portsmouth Police Detective Division responded to Prudence Island and interviewed the other passengers. The vessel was reportedly west of Hog Island in the vicinity of Poppasquash Point when the woman fell from the ferry. The woman is a 39 year-old resident of Prudence Island. Witnesses reported she was alone on the deck of vessel when the incident occurred. From several witness accounts, it appeared that the woman intentionally climbed over the deck railing and entered the water.

At this time the search for the missing woman is ongoing and the incident is still under investigation.