Boat Sinks Off Gloucester Coast
The fishing community in Gloucester, Massachusetts, is in shock after a boat sank early Friday morning.
The U.S. Coast Guard has reported one individual has been found, but there are still six others missing. Rescue efforts are currently underway.
The vessel, named the F/V Lily Jean, measured 72 feet and was returning to shore with seven crew members when it sent out an emergency radio signal approximately 20 miles from Cape Ann.
The Coast Guard explained that the beacon releases automatically when it contacts water. Efforts to reach the crew went unanswered, prompting immediate action to search the area.
Various resources were deployed for the operation, including an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Cape Cod Air Station and a boat team from Gloucester Station. The Coast Guard Cutter Thunder Bay was also redirected to help with the search.
Rescue teams discovered a debris field adjacent to where the beacon was activated. They found an unresponsive body in the water and a life raft linked to the boat, but there were no occupants.
The Coast Guard will continue to update the public as search efforts progress.
Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr commented on the tragedy, saying, “Every day, men and women leave ports like Gloucester to harvest the ocean’s bounty for our people and our nation, and they run the real risk of never returning home. The consequences of that risk are painfully real.”
This incident adds to the history of maritime tragedies that have affected Gloucester, a city with a rich fishing tradition that dates back 400 years and inspired works like “The Perfect Storm.” Notably, the FV Andrea Gale disappeared at sea in 1991.
On Saturday, local residents planned to gather at a church to pray as search activities continued.
WGNTV reported that the captain of the Lily Jean, Gus Sanfilippo, was well-loved in the community. A neighbor described him as a warm person with a big smile and highlighted his skills as a fisherman, expressing that the community has faced many challenges but would remain resilient.
