Coast Guard ends search for missing lobsterman

CAPE ELIZABETH – The Coast Guard ended its search for a missing lobsterman Thursday, but state and local agencies continued the recovery effort.

The decision was made to end the search and rescue operation at 11:14 a.m. pending further developments, said Paul Conner, a Coast Guard controller. The Maine Marine Patrol and state police and local dive teams remained on the scene, he said.

Two crew members made it to shore but there was no sign of the skipper, Steve Smith, after a rogue wave caught the 38-foot April Lee late Wednesday afternoon.

“We don’t believe there’s any way he could have survived,” said Deputy Fire Chief Michael Jordan. The water temperature was 59 degrees, he said.

Law enforcement officials did not release the names of the two fishermen who made it to shore with help from a couple of house builders. Both reported they did not see Smith after the boat capsized. They were not wearing survival suits, they said. The capsized boat washed ashore about 100 yards from the home of Vincent Conti, president of Maine Medical Center. Gloves, buckets and other debris were strewn on the rocks between McKenney Point and Kettle Cove.

Remnants of Hurricane Florence kicked up powerful ocean swells and created havoc Wednesday for commercial fishermen along Maine’s coast.

In a separate incident Wednesday, a lobsterman was rescued off Cape Elizabeth after being tossed overboard when his 18-foot boat capsized off Zeb’s Cove.