Joshua Catlett
April 5, 2013

Summary
Age 23
Crabber and Laborer/Oyster Boat
Drowned, Port Norris, Delaware Bay, Drowning when the boat he worked on capsized and sank.

 

Missing Port Norris fisherman:
Sinking caused by dredge line snag, officials say

By Alex Young | For NJ.com
on April 05, 2013 at 5:08 PM, updated April 05, 2013 at 5:22 PM

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PORT NORRIS — Authorities believe that a dredge line snag led to the sinking of the crabbing boat the Linda Claire onThursday that left one of its crew members lost in the waters of the Delaware Bay.

New Jersey State Police Lt. Stephen Jones said Friday investigators believe the dredge line being pulled by the commercial fishing boat caught something on the bottom of the Bay, causing the boat to capsize.

While the U.S Coast Guard said Friday that the search for missing fisherman, and Port Norris resident, Josh Catlett would remain suspended, Jones said that state police continued their search Friday.

“State Police have been out there all day hoping to find him,” Jones said.

Officials believe the 24-year-old Catlett is dead.

On Friday afternoon, people were going about their normal business around the docks in Bivalve, but the somber look on their faces showed the state of shock that the small fishing village is in a day after the local fisherman was lost in the bay.

Catlett was one of three crew members aboard the Linda Claire that went into the 44-degree waters of the bay after the boat capsized and sank Thursday morning around 8:30 a.m.

The other men on board — Chris Serra, 27, of Vineland, and Dave Wood, 25, believed to be a resident of Port Norris — were rescued by crew members from other nearby fishing boats, the Captain Brown and the Sandra Lee.

Jones said that the Linda Claire is about 50 feet below the surface, almost right under the spot where it sank about six miles west of Cape May Point.

The search for Catlett covers a large area around the boat, according to Jones.

“The cause of the accident is still under investigation by the U.S. Coast Guard,” Jones said. “But it looks what happened is the dredge got snagged on something at the bottom of the bay, causing the boat to capsize.”

The Coast Guard launched boat crews from Cape May and a helicopter crew from Atlantic City to begin the search after they were alerted to the sinking at around 8:30 a.m. Thursday by a crew member from the Captain Brown. State police units also joined in the search on Thursday. 

Wood and Serra were taken to the Coast Guard Station in Cape May where they were turned over to medical personnel before being taken to Cape Regional Medical Center for treatment of symptoms of hypothermia. They were later released.

According to U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Nick Ameen, search and rescue coordinators had to make the difficult decision to suspend the search at around 8 p.m. Thursday.

Jones said that the Linda Claire’s owner will attempt to salvage the boat with the permission of the U.S. Coast Guard.

At the docks Friday, people couldn’t believe such a tragedy struck their close-knit community.

Catlett and his whole family were from Port Norris, one person said. Everyone knew them.

Nobody was sure exactly how long Catlett had been working on the crab boat, but Catlett had been out on the water his whole life.

Contact staff writer Alex Young at 856-451-1000 ext. 550 or alexyoung@southjerseymedia.com

 

 

Body found on Delaware beach ID'd as missing Cumberland County man

By Michael Williams/South Jersey Times
on May 10, 2013 at 5:21 PM, updated May 10, 2013 at 7:50 PM

FOWLER BEACH, Del. — A body recovered on a Delaware beach Thursday was positively identified on Friday as missing Port Norris boater Joshua Catlett, authorities said.

New Jersey State Police confirmed that Catlett’s body was discovered washed ashore on Fowler Beach, located in Sussex County, Del., at around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday.

Catlett, 24, of Port Norris, was one of three crew members aboard the Linda Claire when it went into the 44-degree waters of the Delaware Bay after the boat capsized and sank on the morning of April 4.

The other men on board — Chris Serra, 27, of Vineland, and Dave Wood, 25, believed to be a resident of Port Norris — were rescued by crew members from other nearby fishing boats, the Captain Brown and the Sandra Lee.

An extensive search ensued for Catlett, which was conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard and state police. The Coast Guard launched boat crews from Cape May and a helicopter crew from Atlantic City to begin the initial search and rescue. New Jersey State Police marine units also assisted.

Following a 12-hour search, the Coast Guard made the difficult decision to suspend the search unless more information became available. State police continued their search through the following day, but were unsuccessful in locating the young man.

The Linda Claire sank while dredging for crabs about six miles west of Cape May Point.

Authorities believe a dredge line being pulled by the commercial fishing boat caught something on the bottom of the bay, causing the boat to capsize.

According to state police spokesman Sgt. Adam Grossman, Catlett’s body was identified on Friday by the Delaware medical examiner’s office.

Catlett’s family has been notified, Grossman said.

Contact staff writer Michael Williams at 856-935-1500 or michaelwilliams@southjerseymedia.com

 

Joshua Michael Catlett Obiturary

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