The tragic story of lobsterman Jaime Ortiz, who was lost after falling overboard from the boat Dominatrix last week and leaves a wife and five children in his native Honduras, once again cast a pall over Gloucester and its fishing community, which never needs to be reminded of the dangers fishermen face each and every day at sea.
Indeed, while Ortiz had just come to Gloucester just a year earlier, he represented an important grass-roots piece of today’s fishing industry — a relatively new immigrant who came to America’s oldest seaport to work hard and earn a better living for himself and his family.
But amid the tragedy of his loss and the poignancy of a hastily organized gathering at the Fishermen’s Memorial, it was also heartwarming to see Gloucester’s fishing community — notably the Fishermen’s Wives Association — pull together to honor Ortiz and show his extended family that they are not alone in their time of grief. And here’s hoping the community at large extends its support to the drive the Fishermen’s Wives’ Association has launched for Ortiz’ family back home.