Rescued man heads to Boston; no news on mom

HARTFORD, Conn. — A 22-year-old man was on his way to Boston on Monday aboard the cargo ship that rescued him from the Atlantic Ocean, eight days after he and his mother disappeared while on a fishing trip.

Nathan Carman, who grew up in Middletown and now lives in Vermont, told the U.S. Coast Guard that he escaped his 31-foot aluminum boat in a life raft Sept. 18 as the vessel was taking on water in deep ocean off the coast of New York. He told authorities he could not find his mother, Linda Carman, 54, of Middletown, who has not been heard from since she let friends know the two were leaving Point Judith, R.I., on an overnight fishing trip Sept. 17.

Friends said Monday that they were still hoping that Linda Carman would be found safe, though chances were growing slimmer.

Nathan Carman was in “good condition” on board the Orient Lucky, the freighter that came upon his raft drifting Sunday more than 100 nautical miles south of Martha’s Vineyard, the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard plans to interview Carman once the Orient Lucky makes it to Boston, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicole Groll.

The Carmans were scheduled to return from their fishing trip Sept. 18. When they didn’t return as scheduled, the Coast Guard launched a sixday search that covered 62,000 nautical miles off the Connecticut, Rhode Island and New York coastlines.

The search was called off Friday and Carman was found two days later.