On the morning of Friday, January 30th, the Lily Jean, a commercial fishing vessel, sank off the coast of Gloucester. One passenger has been pronounced dead, while the other six passengers have been presumed dead.
For 24 hours, Coast Guard crews conducted an extensive search, covering more than 1,000 square miles using aircraft and boats. The conditions during this search were extremely dangerous due to the harsh winter weather and frigid waterfront.
“Despite these efforts, we have only located one deceased crewmember. Five crewmembers, and one NOAA observer remain missing,” said Jamie Frederick, commander of Coast Guard Sector Boston. “I believe there is no longer a reasonable expectation that anyone could have survived this long.”
Gloucester is widely recognized as the oldest seaport in the country, and its fisherman are known for providing fish to the local restaurants and fish stores of Massachusetts.
“This is Gloucester. This is what we’ve been doing for 400 years,” said Angela Sanfilippo, president of the Gloucester Fisherman’s Wives Association. “There’s no ambulance in the ocean.”
Officials are continuously investigating what caused the Lily Jean to sink, but the seven people who presumably lost their lives at sea have been identified by their friends and families. Numerous bouquets of flowers and signs have been placed at the Fisherman’s Memorial in Gloucester as a tribute to the fallen passengers.
