23 Summer 2025 Proceedings opioids—in 2022, the city had double the statewide rate for overdose fatalities.4 Leading up to and through 2022, the New Bedford waterfront district ranked as the top area in the city for overdose-related 911 calls. However, since the Waterfront Task Force began posting emer- gency naloxone kits along the waterfront in late 2022, the number of overdose emergencies there has dropped significantly. From September 2022 through September 2023, the New Bedford waterfront did not experience a single overdose fatality. In addition to naloxone deploy- ment, Coast Guard teams host events at stations in fish- ing ports and build joint relationships with commercial fishermen in hopes that they can intervene before situa- tions become crises. By advocating for a policy5 that lets vessel captains report the discovery of narcotics on board and request Coast Guard assistance in disposing of them, the ser- vice is helping remove some of the barriers that prevent fishermen from reaching out for help. Whether the crisis aboard is drug-fueled or not, when a fisherman needs help, the Coast Guard wants to get the call as early as possible, and the service is backing that message up with action. Combatting mental illness is difficult, but the Coast Guard’s role is not complex. Building trust within the commercial fishing community is the essential first step. Fishermen must know they can call the Coast Guard at the outset of a developing problem and trust they’re going to get support. The Coast Guard must continue messaging that naloxone should be in every vessel’s first aid kit and does not imply condoning the presence of drugs. Additionally, when a vessel master calls asking for help getting one of their crewmembers ashore for urgent mental health care, the Coast Guard needs to treat that medevac just as urgently as if the patient presented a visible, physiological injury. Almost one year after Station Chatham rescued the 19-year-old fishermen from his suicide attempt, another call came into the Woods Hole command center. The call was direct and there was no mincing of words. A 34-year-old fisherman suffered an apparent fentanyl overdose aboard a fishing vessel 12 miles south of Cape Cod. The master knew his crewman had overdosed, and he told the Coast Guard in plain terms what was happen- ing. The master had attended one of Fishing Partnership’s first aid trainings and learned how to employ naloxone, which was issued at the training. The master, who was able to resuscitate his crewmate with naloxone, safely transferred him to a Coast Guard helicopter. The fisherman survived the ordeal but likely would not have if the vessel’s first aid kit didn’t contain naloxone. The next day, the Coast Guard coordinated with Fishing Partnership to have the vessel’s first aid kit replenished. While both this patient and the 19-year-old off Chatham survived, it is clear how crucial this collabo- ration has become in ensuring the safety of fishermen. About the author: CAPT Clint Prindle is a response and intelligence officer with 26 years of service and three previous commands, including command of Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England, where he first focused on fish- ermen wellness. He serves as the chief of staff at Coast Guard Northeast District. He holds an M.S. in strategic intelligence and is a graduate of the Air Force Air Command and Staff College. Endnotes 1. Sussell A, Peterson C, Li J, Miniño A, Scott KA, Stone DM. Suicide Rates by Industry and Occupation — National Vital Statistics System, United States, 2021. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72:1346–1350. DOI: http://dx.doi. org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7250a2 2. Fulmer S, Jain S, Kriebel D. Commercial Fishing as an Occupational Determinant of Opioid Overdoses and Deaths of Despair in Two Massachusetts Fishing Ports, 2000-2014. New Solut. 2021 Nov;31(3):252-258. doi: 10.1177/10482911211023476. Epub 2021 Jun 22. PMID: 34154452. 3. Massachusetts Dept of Public Health, Occupational Health Surveillance Program. “Opioid-related Overdose Deaths in Massachusetts by Industry and Occuption: 2018-2020.” Microsoft Word - Opioids_2018-2020_Aug data brief_2022.08.25 - FOR POSTING (mass.gov) 4. Ferguson , Grace. “New Bedford Residents Die of Overdoses at Twice the Statewide Rate. How can We End this Epidemic?” The New Bedford Light, 6 Sep 2023. 5. U.S. Coast Guard. (2024 March 19). Local Notice to Mariners: District: 1/Week: 12/24. Pg 82. U.S. Department of Homeland Security. By nature, deep sea fishing forces fishermen to disconnect from their support systems, often worsening an individual’s despair. The Coast Guard works with vessel masters to identify and address personal crises at sea and actively respond to their crew’s needs. Fishing Partnership photo by Dan Orchard
