Pilot says she did all she could to find fishermen

CAPE MAY, N.J. - A Coast Guard pilot says she did everything possible to rescue the crew of a fishing ship that sank off southern New Jersey last month.

Lt. Cmdr. Tina Pena told a Coast Guard investigative panel today how her crew found one survivor and two men dead when the Lady Mary went down on March 24.

She says she never saw the four other men. She says she would have picked them up if she had, even though her helicopter was low on fuel.

The panel is gathering information for a report on how the boat went down 75 miles off Cape May and how similar accidents could be avoided. The National Transportation Safety Board is also participating and will issue its own report.

The hearings are expected to last at least three days.