Maine officials say what appears to be a body has been observed on the missing fishing boat, which is deep below the surface.

The Missing Vessel Was Originally Found by Local Maine Fishermen

The search for Chester Barrett and his son Aaron, both fishermen from South Addison, has been underway since Saturday, when the pair failed to return as expected. The duo was transiting the boat 'Sudden Impact' from Edmunds to South Addison when they vanished. It's been a challenging search, with high seas and winter weather forcing it to be suspended on Sunday. But earlier in the week, some local fishermen told authorities they thought they came across the boat near Moose Cove, in eastern Washington County, between the town of Cutler and Lubec.

Maine Officials Used an Automated Rover Unit to Observe the Wreck

Maine Marine Patrol officials say that area is active with a strong tidal current and the vessel was located about 160 feet down, making diving dangerous. So on Wednesday, at approximately 11 pm, the State Police/Marine Patrol Underwater Recovery Dive Team, assisted by some local fishermen, took advantage of 'slack water' and used a remotely operated underwater vehicle (ROV) equipped with sonar and a camera to confirm the identity of the sunken ship. The result was a positive identification of the boat and images through the ROV that are believed to be the body of an individual on board the vessel.

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Discussions Are Underway About Whether the Maine Men's Boat Can Be Recovered

Recovery was not possible Wednesday night. Maine Marine Patrol Officials are working with family members of the Barretts to determine the next steps, including consultation with deep water salvage and recovery experts to determine what it would be possible to bring the ship to the surface.

We'll update this story as more details become available. 

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