GLOUCESTER , MASS. (WHDH) - Officials provided an update Wednesday about the search for the Lily Jean, a 72-foot fishing boat that sank on January 30, roughly 25 miles East of Gloucester. The boat’s captain, five crew members, and an observer working for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) all died in the crash.
“They represent the heart and sole of the fishing community and really the state of Massachusetts,” Governor Maura Healey said.
The Coast Guard braved eight to 10 foot seas, winds to 30 knots, and freezing sea spray during the search and rescue effort. Crew members spotted an unoccupied life raft, debris, and the body of Captain Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo floating on the surface of the ocean.
“The debris field was consistent with things that would float off the deck of a fishing vessel if it were to sink,” U.S. Coast Guard Commander Jamie Frederick said. “It wasn’t a debris field, like something catastrophic had happened to the hull.”
The Coast Guard said freezing sea spray can weigh down boats and impact their stability, but officials say they are still investigating what happened.
Massachusetts Environmental Police said they have side scan sonar equipment capable of mapping the bottom of the ocean near that debris field.
“Our role in this has been to collect data, pass that data up for analyzation, and then once its analyzed, then we look at next steps,” Massachusetts Environmental Police Col. John Monahan said.
Environmental police borrowed a bigger boat to do the scans, and NOAA sent a ship, named the Thomas Jefferson, to do a more detailed mapping job. Officials said that job is done, and the data is being analyzed in the hopes of finding the wreck.
If a site of possible wreckage is found, authorities could send down a tethered unmanned robot to take a look, and they will consult with the families on what to do next.
Rick Beal, whose brother Paul and nephew P.J. are lost at sea, read a statement. He thanked the Coast Guard and those involved in the recovery and effort, but he also condemned online speculation about the mystery.
He said Captain Sanfillipo was a careful skipper who didn’t take chances.
“Hopefully in the future, the investigation will give us some light about what happened,” Beal said. “But as of now, only God knows what happened that fateful morning. Let us pray and cherish the memories of these seven lost souls.”
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