GLOUCESTER MASS, Coast Guard officials have identified all seven individuals on board the fishing vessel Lily Jean, which sank off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts, early Friday morning, resulting in the presumed deaths of everyone aboard.
The Lily Jean was carrying six fishermen and an observer from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration when it went down about 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann just before 7 a.m. Friday.
The U.S. Coast Guard announced at a press conference Saturday that it had suspended the search for survivors and that all crew members were presumed dead. One body was recovered, though officials did not identify the individual.
The vessel was returning to Gloucester after completing a fishing trip when it sank. The cause of the incident remains unclear, and the Coast Guard Northeast District, along with the National Transportation Safety Board, is expected to investigate.
In a statement Monday, the Coast Guard identified the crew members as captain Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, fishermen Paul Beal Sr., Paul Beal Jr., John Rousanidis, Freeman Short, and Sean Therrien, along with NOAA observer Jada Samitt, 22.
According to a GoFundMe page for Rousanidis, he spent his early years on the North Shore before living part of his childhood in Greece and later returning to Massachusetts to pursue his dreams. His sister wrote that he loved fishing, boxing, and enjoying life to the fullest.
Jada Samitt, 22, of Virginia, had relocated to Massachusetts to study marine science and worked as a fisheries observer and crew member aboard the Lily Jean. Her family described her as deeply committed to protecting fisheries and the ocean, saying her presence on the vessel reflected her passion for her work.
As a NOAA observer, Samitt collected data on commercial fishing vessels to help inform fishery management decisions, according to the agency.
Sean Therrien, 44, a Lynn 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 support his family with funeral costs and other expenses.
The tragedy has drawn donations and tributes from across the New England fishing community. Therrien leaves behind two sons, Justin and Tyler, and a longtime girlfriend.
In a Facebook post, Rebecca Carp said she was heartbroken, noting that she and Therrien had been together for 22 years.
The Lily Jean, its captain Gus Sanfilippo, and the crew were featured in a 2012 episode of the History Channel series Nor’Easter Men. Sanfilipippo was described as a fifth-generation commercial fisherman based in Gloucester.
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey offered condolences at the Saturday press conference, highlighting Gloucester’s deep ties to the fishing industry.
“Fishing and the ocean are not just a livelihood here, they’re an identity, a history, a family,” Healey said, adding that the loss of the Lily Jean has rippled through the community and the entire commonwealth.
A memorial service was held Sunday at Saint Ann Church in Gloucester, where residents gathered to honor those lost in the sinking.
