September 30, 2026 — An expedition team this week identified the wreck of the Mistress, a fishing vessel that sank next to a wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island on Jan. 1, 2019, taking with it the captain and his nephew.
The discovery of the long-missing trawler and the remains of the two fishermen prompted demands for a federal investigation into whether the wind farm operator, Orsted, discovered the wreck years ago and kept it quiet.
The Mistress wreck has also revived calls to examine the safety risks associated with offshore wind turbines that, when positioned closely together, can make it virtually impossible for the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct nighttime rescues of distressed vessels, particularly in stormy weather.
The exact cause of the Mistress’ sinking hasn’t been determined.
There is no evidence the ship struck the easternmost turbine of the Block Island Wind Farm, where a private diving crew recently identified the sunken boat.
But the turbines forced the Coast Guard to abandon their rescue attempt in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2019, when the Mistress had taken on water during a sudden storm and the captain issued a mayday call.
“They had a helicopter there, and they had to let it go,” said John Ansay, whose son, John Ansay Jr., went down with the Mistress two days after his 31st birthday.