The bodies of two brothers from Stoughton, Massachusetts, who went missing Saturday morning while fishing off the coast of Little Compton, have been recovered, officials confirmed Sunday.
The victims have been identified as 31-year-old Valdir A. Centeio and 27-year-old Aldino A. Centeio. The brothers were last seen fishing from the rocks near Warren’s Point Beach Club when one of them slipped and fell into the water. The other immediately jumped in to try to save him.
A third man who was there also entered the water in an effort to help but was unable to reach the brothers. He managed to climb back onto the rocks and was assisted by a lifeguard and rescue swimmer.
The 911 call came in around 8:30 a.m. Saturday, prompting a large-scale response from the Little Compton Fire Department, Rhode Island DEM, the U.S. Coast Guard, and marine units from nearby towns including Middletown, Newport, and Tiverton.
Search crews worked for more than six hours Saturday. The Coast Guard deployed side-scan sonar before suspending their portion of the search around 3 p.m. and turning the operation over to local agencies.
On Sunday morning, just after 11 a.m., Little Compton Fire & Rescue and a DEM vessel recovered both bodies in the water near the area where the brothers were last seen. The Rhode Island State Medical Examiner’s Office has taken custody of the remains.
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