Fatal Salem boat crash death of John Masiz – Obituary
Amidst the craggy embrace of Little Misery Island, just off Salem’s coast, authorities discovered the lifeless form of a 65-year-old man on Saturday, lodged within a boat that had met its fate against the rocky shores. Multiple harbormasters and the US Coast Guard collaborated in the search effort, as detailed by officials on Sunday evening.
Identified as John Masiz of Gloucester on Tuesday by Sharyn Lubas, a spokesperson for the Essex district attorney’s office, the circumstances surrounding his demise are subject to ongoing investigation pending an autopsy by the state medical examiner’s office.
Bill McHugh, Salem’s harbormaster, recounted his team’s involvement in the recovery operation, succinctly stating, “We recovered the boat and we recovered the owner,” on Sunday evening.
Masiz’s remains were unearthed after 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, shared Lubas, indicating that while foul play was not immediately suspected, the investigation into his passing continues. The precise cause leading to the boat’s collision remains veiled in uncertainty.
Tim Peters, proprietor of TowBoatUS in Boston and northern Massachusetts, revealed the continued efforts to clear the debris, uncertain of the duration required for the task ahead. Retrieval operations were underway, with salvage crews diligently recovering remnants of the vessel.
“Mother Nature kind of took care of a lot of the wreck removal, so we’re just retrieving chunks,” Peters described the painstaking process. “When the weather allows, we’ll go and recover what’s left.”
The initial distress call sounded around 5 p.m. on Saturday, prompting a swift response after a vigilant individual alerted the Coast Guard upon spotting the distressed vessel. Priority was rightfully granted to the search operation over the clearing of wreckage as evening descended.
Little Misery Island, vulnerable to the whims of easterly weather, presented formidable challenges. Peters elucidated, “We’re just doing what we can with the conditions,” noting the relentless assault of waves that ultimately pulverized the boat against the unyielding rocks.
Owned by the Trustees of Reservations, a venerable steward of historical and environmental conservation, the 4-acre Little Misery Island stands sentinel off the southern expanse of the 83-acre Great Misery Island.
Its name, a somber reminder of past perils, harks back to the harrowing ordeal of Captain Robert Moulton, a shipbuilder of the 1620s, who found himself stranded amidst its desolate shores for three agonizing days during a winter tempest.