Currents hamper search for missing man

NARRAGANSETT, R.I. (WPRI) - Crews searching the waters off Narragansett for the body of a missing fisherman met Monday afternoon to determine what their next course of action will be.

Samnang Nou, 25, of Lowell, Mass. was fishing with relatives Sunday morning when waves, churned up by Hurricane Danielle , swept three people, including his mother and aunt, off Hazard Rock.

Police said it's believed Nou jumped into the water to help, but quickly went under.

A Coast Guard patrol boat spent the night looking for Nou and was joined Monday morning by two more Coast Guard vessels and a Falcon Jet.

As 1:30 p.m. Monday, authorities were keeping divers out of the water because of a dangerous under current.

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People nearby were able to rescue the three victims. They were taken to South County Hospital. Family members said Nou's aunt is in critical condition.

While crews continued the search, family members and Nou's longtime girlfriend held vigil on the rocks.

"The last time they saw him, he was struggling in the water," said girlfriend Jennifer Ath. "I just hope he's alive."

Ath said her boyfriend was one of the best people she knows.

"He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders," Ath said. "He never had anything bad to say about anyone. He made me a better person."

Police said this incident to serve as a reminder to everyone about the dangers along the coast.

"It's a beautiful area, and I think people get a little careless when they get near the edge of the rocks," said Narragansett Police Capt. Gerald Driscoll. "As you saw, when we were watching the surf, the surf seems fine for a little while and then every now and then a six- or eight-footer will roll in and go pretty far up the rocks."