Gloucester ‘sinking’ fishing boat, ‘Lily Jean,’ leads to 7 deaths as Massachusetts officials identify all seven crew members who lost their lives as cause of sinking remains unclear.
Coast Guard officials have identified all seven individuals on board a fishing boat that sank off the coast of Gloucester in Massachusetts, early Friday morning.
The fishing vessel Lily Jean was carrying six fishermen and an observer from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration when it went down some 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann just before 7 a.m. on Friday.
The U.S. Coast Guard announced at a press conference Saturday that it had suspended the search for survivors, and all crew were presumed dead. The Coast Guard found one body, but did not identify who it recovered.
Cause of sinking of fishing boat off Gloucester to be investigated
The vessel was returning to Gloucester after completing a fishing trip when it sank, officials said. It is unclear what caused the fatal incident, as the Coast Guard Northeast District along with the National Transportation Safety Board are to investigate according to MassLive.
In a statement Monday, the Coast Guard identified the people who were on the boat. They are captain Accursio ‘Gus’ Sanfilippo and fishermen Paul Beal Sr., Paul Beal Jr., John Rousanidis, 33, Freeman Short and Sean Therrien, along with NOAA observer Jada Samitt, 22.
According to a GoFundme for Rousanidis, the seafarer had spent his early years on the North Shore, before spending the latter part of his childhood in Greece before returning to Massachusetts ‘to chase his dreams,’ his sister wrote. He ‘loved fishing, boxing, and enjoying life to the fullest.’
‘Lily Jean’ Gloucester Fishing boat victims remembered
Jada Samitt, 22, of Virginia, had relocated to Massachusetts to study marine science and worked as a fisheries observer and crew member on the Lily Jean. In a released statement, her family described her as deeply committed to protecting fisheries and the ocean, calling her presence on the vessel a reflection of her belief in the importance of her work.
As a NOAA observer, Samitt worked on commercial fishing vessels collecting data, according to the agency. The administration said the data is used to inform fishery management decisions. Her family said she was passionate about this work.
Sean Therrien, 44, a Lynn, Massachusetts, native, had recently taken a winter job on the Lily Jean after being laid off from construction work. Friends and relatives have launched a GoFundMe page titled ‘In memory of Sean Therrien’ to help support his family with funeral costs and other expenses following the tragedy.
Local community wedded to the sea mourns its victims
The campaign has drawn donations from across the New England fishing community and beyond as mourners honor the lives lost when the Lily Jean went down in frigid Atlantic waters. Therrien leaves behind two sons, Justin and Tyler along with a longtime girlfriend.
In a Friday Facebook post, Rebecca Carp said she was heartbroken, and that she and Therrien had been together for 22 years.
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.
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey offered her condolences at the Saturday press conference, noting the long history of the fishing industry in Gloucester.
‘Fishing and the ocean are not just a livelihood here, they’re an identity, a history, a family, and something that extends an impact far beyond the city,’ Healey said. ‘And that is why the loss of the Lily Jean ripples through this community and through this entire commonwealth.’
A memorial service was held Sunday at Saint Ann Church in Gloucester. The mass lasted just over an hour.
