Coast Guard Confirms 7 Dead in Fishing Boat Tragedy off Massachusetts Coast
Recently, the fishing boat “Lily Jean” sank about 25 miles off the coast of Massachusetts. Rescuers found only partial wreckage and one body at the scene. On Monday (February 2), the United States Coast Guard confirmed that all 7 people on board had perished.
Unlike the famous tourist ports of Rockport and Newport, Gloucester, Massachusetts is primarily known for its fishing industry, with a history of over 400 years. This history was detailed in the famous novel “The Perfect Storm,” and the Hollywood movie of the same name starring George Clooney further brought global recognition to the city.
The fishing boat “Lily Jean” was 72 feet long and sank in the icy waters of the North Atlantic last Friday morning while returning to port for equipment repairs. The Coast Guard suspended rescue operations on Saturday and announced on Monday that a formal investigation into the sinking of the vessel would be launched.
While the exact cause of the sinking has not been determined by the Coast Guard, officials indicated that the spray from the waves causing the vessel to ice up may have led to its capsizing.
Officials mentioned that “Lily Jean” did not send out a distress signal while sailing, and the Coast Guard received the alert through the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) on board, which automatically sends signals when a vessel goes under.
The identities of the deceased have been confirmed by the Coast Guard, including the captain Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, crew members Paul Beal Sr. and Jr., John Rousanidis, Freeman Short, Sean Therrien, and NOAA fisheries observer Jada Samitt.
Gloucester Mayor Paul Lundberg stated that the names of the victims will be inscribed on a memorial within the city to honor the thousands of fishermen who have lost their lives at sea.
Captain Sanfilippo and some crew members were previously featured on the History Channel’s program “Nor’ Easter Men” in 2012. The show highlighted their intense work schedule in hazardous weather conditions and dangerous fishing expeditions lasting up to 10 days for species like haddock, lobster, and flounder.
On the day the Coast Guard revealed the victims’ identities, the local community swiftly dismissed speculations about the cause of the accident. People remembered Captain Sanfilippo as a caring leader who never took unnecessary risks.
President of the Gloucester Fisheries Preservation Fund, Vito Giacalone, told the Associated Press, “Unfortunately, these types of shipwrecks are not rare. We’ve had several incidents where everyone perished, and the radio went silent at the last moment, leaving no survivors, making it impossible to determine what happened. It’s unfair to place blame on ‘human error’ for the families involved.”
He also told CBS that he and Captain Sanfilippo had a brotherly bond, “He treated me like a brother, and I treated him like a little brother. Knowing Gus, if he knew about this tragedy that took all lives onboard, he would be deeply saddened.”
On February 2, former crew member Gryphon Orfanos, who was repairing a boat at the dock, stated, “The people on that boat were experienced fishermen who were aware of the dangers of seafaring.” He and his friend Nate Dennen then affixed a stainless steel cross bearing the name “Lily Jean” to a wooden beam on the dock as a tribute.
Dennen, a longtime friend of Captain Sanfilippo, described him as a mentor who cared for his crew. Orfanos reflected on his over a year of work on “Lily Jean,” saying, “He taught me everything.” It was his first job in offshore fishing.
Furthermore, when family members of NOAA fisheries observer Jada Samitt learned of the tragic news, they stated, “She loved this water, and she was confident in her work. She understood that she was not just an observer but also part of the crew. Each time she went out to sea, she made us understand the importance of protecting the ocean, and we are extremely proud of her.”
(Reference: Associated Press)