By Carol Britton Meyer

The state Environmental Police and the Massachusetts State Police are investigating a fatal boating accident that occurred off Hull’s Crescent Beach last Saturday, August 9, involving one victim.

On Monday, Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz identified the man as Michael LaRhette, 56, of Hingham.

At approximately noon on Saturday, members of the State Police Marine Unit and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to reports of a sunken boat off the coast of Hull in the area of Crescent Beach, near Gunrock Avenue, following an earlier missing vessel report.

“Troopers patrolling the beach along with Hull Police and Fire arrived on scene to search the shoreline,” Trooper Brandon Doherty of the Massachusetts State Police Office of Media Relations said in an email.

First responders located one unresponsive person in the water and rendered aid, including CPR, without success. LaRhette was identified by his driver’s license, which he was carrying at the time of the incident.

The State Police and the Coast Guard continued to investigate to determine if other people or vessels may be missing in connection with this incident, but no indications of any outstanding individuals or vessels were found, according to Doherty.

“The matter was investigated by the State Police Plymouth County Detective Unit and Crime Scene Services, who responded to the scene,” he said.

“Due to conflicting stories and believing that there was a possible second boat and second victim in the water, I worked with [State Police] Trooper Madden to initiate the State Police’s Airwing unit,” according to a report by Hull Police Sgt. James G. Toner. “This suspicion of a second boat and second victim was quickly dispelled as the investigation unfolded.”

Investigators have not disclosed more details about how they believe the incident occurred and what caused the boat to break apart.

Toner’s report said the Coast Guard contacted the Hingham Police requesting that they do “a well-being check on the suspected victim’s residence to gather more information and possibly verify the male’s well-being.

“After speaking to the son, it was determined that the one male, later identified as LaRhette, should have been the only one on the boat and that his vehicle was located and parked. After pinging his phone, it [was determined that it] had last pinged off the coast of Hull at approximately 0045 hours [12:45 a.m.].”

The Coast Guard – which identified the boat as “Salty Paws 2,” registered to LaRhette – located a large portion of the vessel’s hull, and debris from the boat was found off the shore of Crescent Beach, near K Street on the ocean side, and at other locations along Hull’s shoreline.

The debris was collected at K Street, P Street, W Street, and Beach Avenue and brought to Hull Harbormaster Kurt Bornheim’s office, where a collection point for evidence was started, according to Toner’s report. Hull residents reported finding pieces of the boat throughout the weekend, including a report as late as 3:49 p.m. on Monday near U Street.

A rescue helicopter and airplane were launched to search the water, “as there were obvious signs of a boater in distress based on the damage,” Toner reported.

Bornheim and the Hingham Police also participated in the search.

LaRhette was employed by LabCentral, a biotech non-profit based in Cambridge, as the chief business officer.

“Over his last five plus years at LabCentral, Mike was an extraordinary leader whose kindness, compassion, and dedication to innovation in biotech and life sciences shaped LabCentral in immeasurable ways,” according to a tribute written by the company’s executive chairman and chief executive officer on its website. “His strategic vision, coupled with a remarkable ability to bring people together through humor and warmth, built connections that will continue to inspire our community for years to come.”

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