The Coast Guard announced Monday it is launching a formal investigation into the accident aboard a sailing vessel that killed a Maine doctor Oct. 9.

Dr. Emily Mecklenburg, 40, of Rockland, was killed and three others were injured when the main mast on the Grace Bailey splintered and fell onto the deck with 33 people aboard.

The Coast Guard said Monday that it will launch a formal investigation to determine the factors that led to the incident with the hope of preventing future accidents.

“The Coast Guard is committed to conducting a thorough investigation aimed at identifying causal factors that will prevent an accident like this from reoccurring,” Capt. Amy Florentino, commander of the Coast Guard Sector Northern New England, said in a press release.

The Grace Bailey was returning from a four-day excursion when the accident happened near Rockland Harbor.

Coast Guard records show the vessel, built in 1882, was involved in three previous accidents in 2022 and 2019, but had passed inspection May 31.