Rescuers search frigid Atlantic for missing fishermen after boat sinks
off Gloucester
[January 31, 2026]
By MICHAEL CASEY, RODRIQUE NGOWI and PATRICK WHITTLE
LOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) — There wasn't a mayday call from the commercial
fishing vessel Lily Jean as it navigated the frigid Atlantic Ocean
Friday morning on its way home to Gloucester, Massachusetts, America’s
oldest fishing port. The U.S. Coast Guard was notified by the boat’s
beacon that alerts when it hits the water.
When rescuers arrived they found one person dead, floating in the water,
along with a debris field and an empty life boat. Six people remain
missing.
The fate of the Lily Jean, a 72-foot fishing vessel owned by a beloved
member of Gloucester’s historic fishing community, is the latest
maritime tragedy to befall America’s oldest seaport. The city that
inspired “The Perfect Storm” is tied to its fishing heritage in a way
that has brought 400 years of history and, sometimes, tragedy. That book
and movie were inspired by the FV Andrea Gail, which went missing at sea
in 1991.
“We will continue to search throughout the night,” said Coast Guard
Commander Timothy Jones, who is coordinating the search and rescue. He
noted that the sea spray was freezing on vessels and caused a serious
danger to both the missing fishing boat and rescuers.
Captain is seasoned fisherman
The Lily Jean, its captain, Gus Sanfilippo, and his crew were featured
in a 2012 episode of the History Channel show “Nor’Easter Men.”
Sanfilippo is described as a fifth-generation commercial fisherman,
fishing out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, in the Georges Bank. The crew
is shown working in dangerous weather conditions for hours on end,
spending as many as 10 days at sea on one trip fishing for haddock,
lobster and flounder.
Republican State Sen. Bruce Tarr, who confirmed seven people were on the
vessel, grew emotional as he talked about Sanfilippo, who was a good
friend.
“He’s a person that has a big smile, and he gives you a warm embrace
when he sees you,” Tarr said. “He is very, very skilled at what he
does.”
Tarr said the “fact that vessel now rests at the bottom of the ocean is
very hard to understand,” given the owner’s experience.
“This is a community that has felt this type of loss in the past,” Tarr
said. “I’m going to make a prediction. Tonight, tomorrow and the days
that follow, no matter what happens, you’re going to see the strength,
strength that has made this the most historic fishing port in the United
States.”
Vito Giacalone, head of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation
Fund, said he knows Sanfilippo from the captain’s early days in
commercial fishing and knew him as a hard worker from a fishing family.
He said he and the fishing industry in Gloucester, a community where
commercial fishing is a longstanding way of life, are distraught.
“He did well for himself. I was proud of him,” Giacalone said. “And now
the dock we own, he ties his boat at the dock so we see him every day.
He’s been to all my kids’ weddings. That’s how close we were. I feel a
sense of loss. A lot of us do.”
Search on for survivors
The Coast Guard's Sector Boston Commander Jamie Frederick acknowledged
frigid temperatures, stormy conditions and the vast ocean makes finding
survivors at night difficult, a task made more challenging with a
nor’easter approaching the East Coast this weekend.
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Flowers are seen placed at the Gloucester Fisherman's Memorial in
Gloucester, Mass., after a fishing boat from port city went missing
off the coast of Massachusetts with multiple people on board,
Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
“That is the equivalent of searching for a coconut in the ocean,”
Frederick said.
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.)
Commercial fishing is dangerous
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.”
Everett Sawyer, 55, a childhood friend of Sanfilippo, said that he is
still processing the news of his disappearance. "He was hardworking. He
loved fishing,” he said.
After more than five decades living and working near the Atlantic Ocean,
Sawyer said he has known 25 people who were lost at sea. Cold winter
conditions can complicate operations even for experienced sailors,
Sawyer said.
“Things happen very quickly when you’re out on the ocean,” he said.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Friday it was
aware that there was a fishery observer on board the vessel. Fishery
observers are workers who collect data on board fishing boats for the
government to use to inform regulations.
Gloucester Council President Tony Gross, a retired fisherman who had
joined other elected officials at the harbor in the city after learning
of the missing boat, 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.”
Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she was “heartbroken” to hear about
the boat's sinking.
“I am praying for the crew, and my heart goes out to their loved ones
and all Gloucester fishing families during this awful time,” she said in
a statement. “Fishermen and fishing vessels are core to the history,
economy and culture of Gloucester and Cape Ann, and this tragedy is felt
all across the state.”
____
Casey reported from Boston, Ngowi reported from Gloucester,
Massachusetts, and Whittle reported from Portland, Maine.
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