2 men rescued after boat sinks, 1 later arrested

BAR HARBOR – Two fishermen were rescued from the chilly waters of Frenchman Bay late Tuesday night and one of them was later arrested on drug and alcohol charges after their boat sank, according to the Coast Guard.

Malcolm Dow, captain of the Luke & Judi, and crew member Tom Trip, both of Trenton, were found in a life raft near Egg Rock around 11:30 p.m. and transported to the Coast Guard station in nearby Southwest Harbor. Both were wearing survival suits.

The Luke & Judi, a 40-foot boat based in Jonesport, sank in 170 feet of water, according to Chris Berry, the Coast Guard’s civilian search and rescue coordinator.

The cause of the sinking is still under investigation, Berry said Wednesday. He said he did not have information on the ages of Dow and Trip.

Officers from the Maine Marine Patrol administered drug and alcohol tests to Dow at the Bar Harbor Police Station. Dow tested positive for the active ingredient in marijuana and had a blood alcohol content greater than the legal limit of 0.04 percent for commercial vessel operators, the Coast Guard said.

“Alcohol was definitely a factor,” Berry said. He did not specify what Dow’s blood alcohol level was.

The Coast Guard launched an air and sea search Tuesday evening after being alerted to the incident by the boat’s automated distress beacon. After receiving the initial distress signal, the Coast Guard contacted the boat’s owner, Aaron Smith, who told them the boat was on its mooring in Jonesport. Subsequent investigation determined the boat was in Frenchman Bay, between Bar Harbor and Winter Harbor.

“I think he expected it back,” Berry said of Smith. The owner knew the boat had been out, but thought it had returned to Jonesport, he said.

Berry said that the boat is believed to have about 100 gallons of diesel fuel on board. He said conditions were too windy Wednesday to attempt a recovery and that the Coast Guard might decide not to try to recover the boat. However he also said that they were concerned about the fuel getting into the water.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.