Coast Guard officials Thursday recovered a body matching the description of a Massachusetts sailor who has been missing for a week.

Chris Berry, a civilian search and rescue coordinator with the Coast Guard, said a charter fishing boat, the India Marie out of Wells, came across the body of a man in the water about 15 miles off Kennebunkport and alerted officials.

A Coast Guard vessel from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was sent to retrieve the body, which was then taken to the New Hampshire Medical Examiner’s Office for positive identification.

Berry said the body matches the description of Richard Pratt, 80, of Cohasset, who has been missing since Aug. 3 when his 33-foot sailboat ran aground near Richmond Island.

Pratt, a seasoned sailor, set sail alone from Cohasset on Aug. 1 headed north toward Maine. His sailboat, the Tarrier, was found last Thursday evening on Richmond Island off the coast of Cape Elizabeth.

The boat’s sails were up, its dinghy was still attached and it appeared to be undamaged. The cabin door was open, but Pratt was nowhere to be found.

Coast Guard and Maine Marine Patrol crews searched extensively last week and through the weekend but scaled back efforts by Monday.

Berry said the crew and customers aboard the charter boat were enormously helpful and stayed with the body until officials arrived.


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