Share and Follow
BOSTON (AP) — On Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard discovered wreckage and a body while searching for a missing commercial fishing boat near Massachusetts, a vessel previously highlighted in a History Channel series that showcased the perilous conditions faced by its crew.
The Coast Guard initiated the search following an emergency signal from the 72-foot fishing boat, Lily Jean, early Friday morning. Located roughly 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann, the vessel’s exact crew count remains uncertain. Known as a ground fishboat, it primarily targeted species like cod, haddock, and pollock.
Featured in a 2012 episode of the History Channel’s “Nor’Easter Men,” the boat’s captain, Gus Sanfilippo, and his crew were shown braving harsh weather conditions. Sanfilippo, a fifth-generation fisherman operating out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, often spent up to 10 days at sea fishing for haddock, lobster, and flounder in the challenging waters of Georges Bank.
Vito Giacalone, who leads the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund, reflected on his long-standing acquaintance with Sanfilippo, whom he regarded as a dedicated worker from a well-known fishing lineage. The incident has left a deep impact on Gloucester, a town where commercial fishing is deeply ingrained in its culture and history.
“He made a good life for himself, and I was genuinely proud of his achievements,” Giacalone remarked. “His boat is moored at our dock, so we see him daily. He’s been a part of our family events, like my children’s weddings. His loss is palpable to many of us.”
Deep-sea fishing in New England can always be hazardous, but it can be especially dangerous in the winter because of high waves, frigid temperatures and unpredictable weather. Commercial fishing is often cited as one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.
“Commercial fishing is a really tough living to begin with, and it’s as safe as the elements and all of the things allow it to be,” Giacalone said. “Gus was a very seasoned experienced fisherman.”
The Coast Guard said it tried unsuccessfully to contact the vessel and then launched a search that included an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, a small boat crew and the Coast Guard Cutter Thunder Bay.
They found a debris field and recovered one person from the water who was unresponsive. They also found an empty life raft.
At the time of the emergency alert, the National Weather Service said wind speeds out at sea were around 27 mph (24 knots) with waves around four feet high. It was 12 degrees (-11 Celsius) with water temperatures about 39 degrees (4 degrees Celsius.)
Gloucester Council President Tony Gross, a retired fisherman who had joined other elected officials at the harbor in the city, called it a “huge tragedy for this community.”
“The families are just devastated at this point,” Gross said. “They are half full of hope and half full of dread, I would imagine.”
Gross described conditions on the water as “fishable” but that it wouldn’t take much for ice to build up on the vessel. “That is what people are thinking right now, that there was ice buildup and that made the boat unstable,” he said.