Search Suspended For Man In Boston Harbor

Rescue crews from the Coast Guard and state and local agencies searched Sunday for a man who fell overboard from a ferry near Castle Island in Boston Harbor.

The Coast Guard said it was notified by the Provincetown II ferry that the unidentified man fell into the water from the third deck on Saturday night.

The search was suspended around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. An area of more than 151 square nautical miles was searched with no sign of the man, the Coast Guard said.

Michael Glasfeld, owner of Bay State Cruises, said in a statement that interviews with several witnesses aboard the vessel "appear at this point to indicate that the gentleman had been engaging in horseplay when he fell from the vessel."

Two passengers said they tried to grab at the man to stop him from scaling the ship's railings. He was on the ship with his girlfriend.

"There are no words to adequately describe our sympathies," Glasfeld said.

The Provincetown II was carrying 370 passengers and 21 staff. The cruise started at 8 p.m. and was scheduled to dock in Boston at 11 p.m.

Coast Guard ships plus crews from the Boston police and fire departments participated in the search. The water was calm water and a mild 65 degrees, the Coast Guard said.