Body Of Prudence Island Woman Recovered From Bristol Cove

BRISTOL, RI — The body of the woman who fell off the Prudence Island ferry earlier this week was recovered from the water, Portsmouth police said Friday. The victim was identified as 38-year-old Laura Ward, a Prudence Island resident.

The body was found in Bristol's Walker Cove around noon on Thursday, police said.

Ward had been missing since Monday night, when she fell into the water from the ferry around 6:30 p.m. The U.S. Coast Guard searched through the night and into Tuesday morning, before the search was suspended.

Witnesses from the ferry told Portsmouth police that the woman was alone on the deck of the ferry before she fell, and that she climbed up onto the rail.