State Police: ID of Boat Found in Sandy Hook Channel Confirmed

NJ State Police have confirmed that the sunken fishing boat found Wednesday morning in the area where the one named El Jefe was reported to have capsized is the same vessel.

“State Police divers confirm sunken boat is ‘El Jefe,'” a NJ State Police Twitter message said. “Presence of a body on board not confirmed. Activity suspended, will resume tomorrow.”

On Wednesday morning, when the boat was found, state police issued a statement saying it had not yet been confirmed that the trawler they found was the El Jefe.

It is believed that Captain Tom Andresen (stet), who docked his boat at the  Belford Seafood Co-op, Middletown, near the area where the incident occurred on Tuesday night, was on the boat, according to a Facebook post on the co-op’s page.

Not a member of the Belford Co-op, Andresen (stet) had been docking his boat at the Co-op inlet, according to Facebook posts.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Captain Tom Andresen tonight,” a Tuesday night post said.  “His boat, El Jefe, is reported to have capsized off the coast of Sandy Hook this evening. Captain Tom is said to have been on board alone, and has not been located, as of yet. We pray for his safe recovery … Mr Andresen is from New York, and has recently been docking his boat here in Belford.”