NEWPORT, R.I. — Three women found dead in a submerged car at a Rhode Island shipyard were friends who worked on some of the world’s finest yachts, according to a business owner in the luxury boat industry.

The car was found at about 6:30 a.m. Friday sticking out of about 4 feet of water in Newport Harbor at the privately owned Newport Shipyard. Police believe that the driver missed a turn in foggy conditions, and that the car had been in the water for at least several hours before it was discovered.