A commercial fishing boat has sunk in the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Ann, Massachusetts, claiming the lives of all seven people aboard, the Coast Guard confirmed Feb. 2.
The 72-foot fishing vessel, the Lily Jean, went down on Jan. 30 in waters 25 miles from the coast near America's oldest seaport, Gloucester. The Coast Guard suspended its search efforts Jan. 31 after covering roughly 1,047 square miles over 24 hours.
The victims included Accursio "Gus" Sanfilippo, the boat's captain and a fifth-generation Gloucester fisherman; Paul Beal Sr. and Paul Beal Jr., a father-and-son duo; John Rousanidis; Freeman Short; Sean Therrien; and Jada Samitt, a 22-year-old fisheries observer employed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) .
The Coast Guard received an emergency position-indicating radio beacon signal at 6:50 a.m. on Jan. 30 from the ship. During the search, crews found a debris field and recovered one unresponsive person from the water, and found the boat's life raft, which had been deployed but was empty.
"The decision to suspend the search was incredibly difficult. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the family members and friends of the lost crew of the Lilly Jean, and with the entire Gloucester community during this heartbreaking time," Capt. Jamie Frederick, commander of Coast Guard Sector Boston, said in the Coast Guard’s press release.
Sanfilippo was widely respected in Gloucester's fishing community. The captain and his crew were featured in a 2012 History Channel episode "Nor'Easter Men," which documented their work in dangerous conditions on the Georges Bank, catching haddock, lobster and flounder during trips lasting up to 10 days.
"You fish in federal waters, you fish in a Gloucester boat, and you lose your life, you're forever a Gloucester fisherman," said Al Cottone, a Gloucester fisherman.
Vito Giacalone, head of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund, said such incidents, while tragic, are not uncommon in the industry.
He said Sanfilippo was deeply connected to Gloucester's fishing legacy and described the Sanfilippo and Beal families as being "etched in centuries of these multiple generations of fishermen.”
Gryphon Orfanos, a former crew member of the "Lily Jean", remembered the captain fondly while helping attach a memorial cross at the dock where the vessel once moored.
"All those guys on that boat were seasoned fishermen," Orfanos said, according to the report. "They knew how dangerous it was."
While most of the crew had extensive experience, Samitt was out on her first job as a fisheries observer. Her family stated that she held a deep love of Gloucester's fishing community and understood “how critical it was to protect the seas and fisheries.”
NOAA in a statement said, "Our thoughts and deepest sympathies are with Jada's family, the families of the six fishermen, the NOAA observer community, and everyone affected.”
Therrien, 44, was in his first season as a commercial fisherman. He joined the "Lily Jean" after his longtime friend, Rousanidis, mentioned the crew needed another deckhand. After about six trips, he was beginning to adjust to the demanding work, though his partner, Becky Carp, said he often commented on the bitter cold.
Carp said Therrien took the job to provide for his family while construction work remained scarce during winter months.
"He wanted to make sure his family was safe and taken care which is why he was busting his butt," Carp said.
Carp last talked with Therrien on Jan. 27 before his final trip. She learned of the disaster Jan. 30 when alerts appeared on her phone. By the morning of the next day, she said, hope had faded.
"I feel like it's a nightmare that I am going to wake up from. It's just a bad dream and everything will be OK. But unfortunately, it's not," she said.
The names of the seven crew members will be inscribed on a Gloucester memorial honoring thousands of fishermen lost to the sea across generations.
The cause of the incident is under investigation by the Coast Guard Northeast District. The National Transportation Safety Board will also assist in the investigation. The probe is expected to take several months. Its purpose is to identify safety improvements rather than assign blame, officials said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report