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2mo ago

Investigators Say Weather, Tangled Propeller Likely Factors in Martha’s Vineyard Capsize That Killed Two

Prosecutors say preliminary evidence points to an accident under sudden rough conditions.

Natural color image of Martha’s Vineyard acquired on September 23, 2013 by the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager.
A family walks to the span of the American Legion Memorial Bridge, also known as the “Jaws Bridge”, while spending the day fishing, Monday, May 12, 2025, in Edgartown, Mass., on Martha’s Vineyard Island. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
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Overview

  • Patricia Bergeron, 69, and Roy Scheffer, 77, both of Edgartown, were found unresponsive near their overturned boat and were later pronounced dead at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.
  • The 47-foot skiff capsized shortly after 11 a.m. about a half-mile off Edgartown while the pair was out fishing, according to officials and the Coast Guard.
  • Authorities describe a sudden weather system that produced roughly 20-knot winds and reported six-foot swells shortly before the 911 call.
  • Investigators secured the vessel and observed the propeller had become entangled in a polypropylene-style fishing line.
  • The Cape & Islands District Attorney’s Office reports no signs of foul play, multiple local agencies and the U.S. Coast Guard responded, and the investigation remains open.