It was supposed to be a routine trip home for the fishing vessel Lily Jean, a familiar sight out of Gloucester harbor. Instead, Friday morning turned into heartbreak for this tight‑knit community when the 72‑foot ground fish boat sent out an emergency signal and then vanished into the cold Atlantic Ocean. The U.S. Coast Guard has confirmed one crew member’s body was found in the water. Six others — including the vessel’s captain — remain missing as the sea search continues.
Rescuers were alerted around 6:50 a.m. by the Lily Jean’s emergency beacon, a radio device that automatically signals distress when submerged. Coast Guard watchstanders tried calling the boat with no response and immediately launched search teams, including an MH‑60 Jayhawk helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod, small boat crews from Station Gloucester, and the cutter Thunder Bay.
When crews reached the area roughly 25 miles off Cape Ann, they found a large debris field drifting on frigid waters. Among the scattered gear and wreckage, rescuers pulled one unresponsive person from the sea. A life raft that could have carried survivors floated nearby, but it was empty. Officials have not released the identity of the deceased.
Captain Gus Sanfilippo, 55, is believed to be among the missing. A fifth‑generation fisherman deeply rooted in Gloucester’s fishing culture, Sanfilippo and his crew had been featured in a 2012 episode of the History Channel’s Nor’Easter Men, a show that chronicled the hard, unpredictable life of New England fishermen.
State Senators and community leaders say seven people were on board at the time — including deckhands, possibly a father‑and‑son team, a younger crew member from neighboring Lynn, and a federal fisheries observer whose job was to collect data at sea. The exact total and identities have not been fully confirmed by the Coast Guard.
Gloucester has lived with the ocean’s highs and lows for centuries. America’s oldest fishing port has seen its share of maritime tragedies, from the storm that inspired The Perfect Storm to other lost vessels. Locals say commercial fishing is woven into the soul of this city, but also remains one of the most dangerous jobs in the world — especially in winter, when harsh winds, freezing spray, and cold waters can turn routine hauls into life‑or‑death struggles.
Officials and residents have poured out support for the families. Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey called the sinking a “heartbreaking tragedy,” offering prayers and support from the state. Gloucester’s council president, a retired fisherman himself, said the community is “half full of hope and half full of dread.” As the Coast Guard continues its round‑the‑clock search, loved ones hold onto that fragile mix of hope and sorrow.
