Fisherman, 85, Dies After Boat Capsizes in Shinnecock Inlet

This article was updated at 7:12 p.m.

A commercial fishing vessel capsized in the Shinnecock Inlet on Sunday afternoon in rough seas, killing its captain. 

The man, 85-year-old Stian Stiansen, an East Quogue resident, was found dead in the water, by a jetty, according to Petty Officer 1st Class Anthony Kozak, of Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. A SeaTow boat pulled Scott Finne, a 42-year-old crew member, from the water and Finne said there was one other person missing, Kozak said. 

At 1:50 p.m., Southampton Town police received several 911 calls that a 45-foot trawler, Pauline IV, had capsized. According to a police statement, they weren't sure how many people were aboard the vessel when it capsized. One person was seen from shore "clinging to a flotation device," police said. 

Police notified a Coast Guard Station Shinnecock communications watchstander.

Sector Long Island Sound issued an urgent marine information broadcast and launched a response boat crew from the nearby Station Shinnecock, the Coast Guard said. Rescue crews from the station, Southampton Village police, Southampton Town Bay Constables, and various fire department water rescue squads descended upon the scene, along with a Suffolk County police aviation unit. 

The helicopter located the Stiansen's body, the Coast Guard said. At about 3 p.m., he was found on the east side of the Shinnecock Inlet. He was taken to Southampton Hospital, where he was pronounced dead 40 minutes later. 

The water in the inlet is about 50-degrees, he said. 

Police called the SeaTow captain's efforts heroic. "In dangerous seas he navigated the inlet, located the subject observed in the water, and retrieved him safely," police said in a statement. 

The Coast Guard reached the area within 15 minutes, according to Kozak. He said the rescue boat that started searching for the victim reported 8-foot breakers in the area. "That's pretty significant," he said. 

Police said the accident occurred as the vessel was returning to the dock. Stiansen had taken the boat earlier that morning. 

"With a vessel trying to make it through a small inlet like that it can be difficult," Kozak said, even for experienced fishermen. He said reports were that the boat was "picked up by the waves and thrown into the rocks and capsized. It probably happened pretty quick."

Finne, an Eastport resident, was not injured, but was taken to the hospital for evaluation. 

The trawler came to rest on the beach east of the Shinnecock Inlet. The Coast Guard will remove it, police said. 

The fire departments that responded included Hampton Bays, Southampton North Sea and Sag Harbor fire departments. The Hampton Bays and Southampton Village ambulances also responded, along with coordinators from Suffolk County Emergency Coordinators. 

Southampton Town police detectives are investigating the maritime accident, Kozak said. Anyone with any information is asked to call 631-702-2230.