New Bedford police investigate after man goes missing, drowns in harbor

Local News

The man was last seen Jan. 28 before police found his body in New Bedford Harbor three days later, prosecutors said.

New Bedford police are investigating a drowning after they found a man’s body in the city’s harbor, prosecutors said.

Jason Vasquez, 51, of New Bedford, was found dead in the harbor Jan. 31, the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office said in a press release.

He was last seen Jan. 28 after he visited a “local adult establishment,” the DA’s office said.

Prior to his death, Vasquez worked on a ship at the New Bedford Shipyard and Shoreline, the DA’s office said. His boss reported him missing Jan. 30 after his vehicle was found in the shipyard’s parking lot.

New Bedford police responded to the report and located Vasquez’s vehicle, according to the DA’s office. The next day, they found him in the harbor a “short distance” from the ship he worked on.

Vasquez was pronounced dead at the scene, the DA’s office said. New Bedford police and Massachusetts State Police are investigating the drowning but have not indicated whether foul play was involved.