Crime & Safety

UPDATE: U.S. Coast Guard Takes Over Investigation of Abandoned Boat

Coast Guard reports finding a vessel with no one in it floating in the Long Island Sound near Northville Friday morning; Riverhead Police say owner is from Connecticut.

The United States Coast Guard has taken over the investigation of an abandoned 35-foot sailboat found floating at the docks of ConocoPhillips in Northville Friday morning.

According to the Coast Guard, the boat was spotted by a ConocoPhillips employee around 5:30 a.m. on Friday, unmoored with the sails up, electronics running, with the boat owner's wallet and glasses found aboard the boat.

The Jagular, owned by 64-year old Haddam, Conn. native Francis Closter III, "appeared from the GPS that it might have went into a circle pattern at an unknown time closer to the Connecticut side of the Long Island Sound," according to Lt. David Lessard of the Riverhead Police Department. "Then it started tracking from northeast back to our location."

Find out what's happening in North Forkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Lessard said no foul play was suspected at this time.

According to authorities, Closter's wife told police that he had left Midway Marina in Haddam at 5 p.m. on Thursday and was headed to Clinton, a Connecticut town on the Long Island Sound west of the mouth of the Connecticut River. The river opens up north of Orient, while Clinton is due north roughly in the vicinity of Cutchogue.

Find out what's happening in North Forkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Members of the Suffolk County Marine Bureau, the Suffolk County Aviation Unit, and fire departments from Wading River, Riverhead, Jamesport were notified as was the Southold Town Police Department.

Around 9:00 a.m. Friday, authorities towed the boat from its location at the ConocoPhillips dock, about 100 yards off shore, to Mattituck Inlet. Lessard said the boat would be impounded by Riverhead Police.

Authorities are requesting that nearby vessels keep a lookout for anyone in the water.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.