The true story of a preventable tragedy at sea — and the lives that were lost in the waiting.
In the early hours of September 5, 1996, the fishing vessel Heather Lynne II was struck and capsized by a tugboat and its 272-foot barge off Cape Ann, Massachusetts. What followed was a nightmare. Trapped beneath the overturned hull, the fishermen fought to survive in a dwindling air pocket. Their tapping and shouted pleas were heard by rescuers — but help came too late.
In Dead Men Tapping, Kate Yeomans reconstructs the events of that horrific morning with unflinching precision and heartbreaking clarity. Drawing on her own deep connection to the New England fishing community, Yeomans delivers more than just a report — she brings to life the people behind the headlines, the split-second decisions, the institutional hesitations, and the crushing aftermath.
The book pulses with dramatic tension — but its deeper strength lies in how it unpacks the complexity of maritime rescue, the culture of fishing, and the haunting silence of what might have been. Yeomans doesn’t flinch from showing the failures: delayed decisions, bureaucratic caution, and a Coast Guard response that remains controversial to this day.
This is a story that deserves to be read widely — especially by those in the maritime industry, in leadership roles, and in emergency response. It’s a chilling, necessary reminder that in moments of crisis, hesitation can be deadly.
Dead Men Tapping is as gripping as it is tragic. A searing account of life, loss, and the unforgiving nature of the sea.