Haunting clues emerge in 7-year fishing boat mystery after wreckage found off island

An organization believes it has found the wreckage of a fishing boat that sank over seven years ago - potentially solving a mystery surrounding the deaths of two fishermen.

The vessel sank Jan. 1, 2019, according to the organization. 

The F/V Mistress was discovered approximately 92 feet underwater, just 50 feet from the base of a wind turbine at the Block Island Wind Farm, according to Green Oceans.

The organization reported that "apparent human remains" were also found at the site.

Michael Lombardi, president of Green Oceans, told Fox News Digital his organization began searching for the vessel after receiving tips from two contractors who had previously worked near turbine No. 1 at the Block Island Wind Farm.

Lombardi said he later reviewed the Coast Guard's original accident report and plotted GPS coordinates associated with distress calls and other key details, which pointed investigators toward the turbine.

"Once plotted on a map, it became obvious where the search area should be focused, and it coincided perfectly with turbine 1," Lombardi said.

When asked by Fox News Digital how confident he was that the wreck was the F/V Mistress, Lombardi replied, "100%."

Tim Diaz, who survived the sinking, confirmed that the net drum belonged to the Mistress, according to Lombardi. 

Diaz built the equipment himself.

The mystery isn't over - and Lombardi said there is still some "uncertainty" about what happened in the vessel's final moments, though he said it was undoubtedly in distress.

"Based on the orientation of the wreckage on the bottom, there is reason to investigate whether an avoidance maneuver to starboard was made in an attempt to avoid a collision with the turbine," he said.

"With the hull full of water, this maneuver could have ultimately caused the vessel to roll and then sink."

As Green Oceans focuses on the environmental and maritime safety impacts of offshore wind development, Lombardi said the discovery could have implications for future permitting decisions.