In brief
A 72-foot fishing vessel named Lily Jean went missing approximately 25 miles off the Massachusetts coast, leading to a Coast Guard search and rescue operation. Despite uncovering a debris field and recovering a body, hope remains for the remaining crew members. Notably, the Lily Jean and its captain had been featured on a History Channel show, highlighting the challenges faced by fishermen in the region. Community members are expressing their devastation as search operations continue.
BOSTON (AP) — A fishing vessel that went missing off the coast of Massachusetts was carrying a crew of seven people, a state senator said Friday.
The Coast Guard launched a search and rescue mission early Friday after receiving an alert from the 72-foot Lily Jean about 25 miles off Cape Ann. They located a debris field near where the alert was sent along with a body in the water. It said it continued to be in search and rescue mode Friday evening.
Republican State Sen. Bruce Tarr told reporters late Friday that seven people were on the boat.
The Lily Jean, its captain, Gus Sanfilippo and his crew were featured in a 2012 episode of the History Channel show “Nor’Easter Men.” Sanfilippo is described as a fifth-generation commercial fisherman, fishing out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, in the Georges Bank. The crew is shown working in dangerous weather conditions for hours on end, spending as many as 10 days at sea on one trip fishing for haddock, lobster, and flounder.
The Coast Guard said it tried unsuccessfully to contact the vessel and then launched a search that included an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, a small boat crew, and the Coast Guard Cutter Thunder Bay.
They found a debris field and recovered one person from the water who was unresponsive. They also found an empty life raft.
The search began after the Coast Guard received an emergency alert from the 72-foot fishing vessel Lily Jean early Friday located about 25 miles offshore near Gloucester. It is unclear how many people were on the vessel, a ground fishboat that fished for cod, haddock, and pollock.
Gloucester is often described as America’s oldest working seaport, with a fishing industry that goes back more than 400 years. The city, where the reality television show “Wicked Tuna” aired, has been the site of maritime tragedy over the years. Among them was the FV Andrea Gail, which went missing at sea in 1991, and was the basis for the book and movie “The Perfect Storm.”
Vito Giacalone, head of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund, expressed sorrow over the incident, recalling Sanfilippo as a dedicated and hardworking fisherman with close ties to the community.
“He did well for himself. I was proud of him,” Giacalone said. “And now the dock we own, he ties his boat at the dock so we see him every day. He’s been to all my kids’ weddings. That’s how close we were. I feel a sense of loss. A lot of us do.”
Deep-sea fishing in New England can be hazardous, particularly in winter due to high waves, frigid temperatures, and unpredictable weather.
At the time of the emergency alert, the National Weather Service reported wind speeds of around 27 mph (24 knots) and waves approximately four feet high. It was a chilling 12 degrees (-11 Celsius) with water temperatures around 39 degrees (4 degrees Celsius).
Gloucester Council President Tony Gross and Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey responded to the tragedy, emphasizing the community’s loss and the dangerous nature of commercial fishing.
The search continues in hopes of locating the remaining crew members as the community mourns.
