The Cape Cod community was struck by tragedy this week as the fishing vessel Seahorse was discovered submerged off the coast with two bodies aboard, including that of Captain Shawn Arsenault, 64, and his girlfriend, Felicia Daley, 54. The boat had been reported missing earlier in the week after failing to return from a clamming trip that began on Sunday from Rock Harbor, as reported by CBS Boston.
On Wednesday, the Seahorse was located about two miles from Brewster beaches by a recreational boater, and Massachusetts State Police, alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, took part in the recovery mission which eventually led to the somber discovery, and Commander Cliff Graham of the Coast Guard acknowledged the community's input, stating, "The level of support from our maritime response partners and members from the fishing and local community was remarkable," according to an NBC Boston interview with the commander. The vessel's sighting was first reported around 2:00 p.m., neighbors and friends of the couple have begun to publicly share their grief, with a friend of Daley, Scott Amerault, saying, "If you had her as a friend, you had a good friend," conveying the loss felt by those close to them.
Captain Arsenault, who had been fishing most of his life and recently made repairs to the Seahorse, was described by his brother Paul in a statement obtained by NBC Boston as a seasoned fisherman and noted that the captain had been enthusiastic about his new equipment, saying, "He was very excited about his new equipment, he installed it, left Sunday morning, and he said that he wasn't coming back till he had his 30-bag limit, and that's the last I heard of him."
An investigation is now underway to determine the exact circumstances of the Seahorse's sinking, with Nathan Sears, Orleans Harbormaster, hinting in his interview with CBS Boston at potential dangers of the trade by stating, "These are quahog draggers, they're dragging big steel cages behind the boats, if they get hung up on the bottom, especially if you're fishing in the dark, they can roll the side of the boat and go down pretty fast." The community, meanwhile, continues to mourn as friends remembered Captain Arsenault as a diligent and skilled captain, and both he and Daley as cherished figures in the Cape Cod area, their absence is a poignant reminder of the perils faced by those who make their living on the sea.
