Saving Seafood

MASSACHUSETTS: Lily Jean loss sparks formal investigation as fishing community rallies

March 3, 2026 — More than a month after the 72-foot groundfish vessel Lily Jean sank 25 miles off Cape Ann, state and federal investigators are still working to determine what caused the loss of the Gloucester-based vessel and all seven people aboard.

The boat sank Jan. 30 without issuing a distress or mayday call. An EPIRB signal alerted the U.S. Coast Guard at approximately 6:50 a.m., prompting a massive air and sea search effort. Crews searched roughly 1,047 square miles in punishing winter conditions- air temperatures near 6 degrees Fahrenheit, wind chills below zero and water temperatures around 40 degrees.

Responders located one unresponsive individual from the water and located a deployed but unoccupied life raft. No additional survivors were found, and the Coast Guard suspended its search the following day.

“All reasonable search efforts for the missing crewmembers had been exhausted,” said Capt. Jamie Frederick, commander of Coast Guard Sector Boston, at the time.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

MASSACHUSETTS: Two Local Banks Step Up to Manage Lily Jean Charitable Fund

March 2, 2026 — A fund has been established to support the families of seven crew members who died when the fishing vessel Lily Jean sank Jan. 30 about 22 miles off Cape Ann.

The Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund announced the creation of the Lily Jean Fund in the days following the sinking.  According to organizers, 100% of donations will be distributed in equal amounts to the seven affected families.

Local financial institutions Cape Ann Savings Bank and BankGloucester are assisting with collection and processing of contributions.

An anonymous donor has pledged to match the first $40,000 raised, dollar for dollar. Donations of any size will qualify toward the match until the threshold is reached.

Read the full article at The Cricket

MASSACHUSETTS: Search continues for sunken fishing vessel off Gloucester coast

February 18, 2026 — State and federal agencies are still searching for details to explain what caused a commercial fishing vessel to sink off the coast of Gloucester last month, killing all seven people who were on board.

The 72-foot commercial fishing vessel, named Lily Jean, sank on Jan. 30 without sending any distress or mayday call.

Coast Guard crews spent days searching for survivors on dangerously high seas before calling off the search and rescue mission.

At a Wednesday press conference, officials stressed the need for patience as they work toward uncovering meaningful information. They said state and federal partners are collaborating on this phase of the investigation, which includes searching for the sunken ship. That effort is focused on an area about 20 minutes off shore, with waters up to 400 feet deep. Crews are hoping the search helps them understand what happened to the ship.

Read the full article at WGBH

MASSACHUSETTS: North Shore mourns father and son killed on sunken Gloucester fishing boat

February 17, 2025 — A father and son who were killed when a fishing boat sank off the coast of Gloucester late last month are being remembered for their love of the ocean.

Gloucester residents Paul Beal Sr., 70, and Paul Beal Jr., 34, were among the seven crew members of the Lily Jean who died when it sank while returning from a fishing trip on Jan. 30.

Remembering Paul Beal Sr.

Paul Austin Beal Sr. was born in Rockport to the late Lloyd and Marilyn Beal on Oct. 11, 1955, according to his obituary. He grew up in Rockport with his two brothers and graduated from Rockport High School in 1974.

“After graduation, Paul followed his heart to the Ocean. It was a way of life for the Beal Family, dating back to ancestors in Beals Island, Maine,” his obituary reads.

Remembering Paul Beal Jr.

Paul Austin “PJ” Beal Jr., was born in Gloucester on June 22, 1991, to his mother, Denee, and father, Paul Austin Beal Sr., according to his obituary. He was raised in Gloucester and attended Gloucester Public Schools.

“As a child growing up, PJ instantly took a love to the ocean,” his obituary reads.

Read the full article at MassLive

MASSACHUSETTS: Lily Jean crew member lost at sea was loyal, hard-working friend

February 17, 2026 — Loved ones of a 33-year-old crew member aboard The Lily Jean, a Gloucester fishing vessel that sunk at the end of January, remember him as a loving and hard-working man who would “give the shirt off his back” to anyone who needed it.

John Paul Rousanidis, 33, of Peabody, died on Jan. 30. He was one of seven people aboard the fishing boat when it went down off the coast of Cape Ann. The Coast Guard searched into the night for the missing crew members, discovering just one body, a debris field and the boat’s empty life raft.

Read the full article at Mass Live

MASSACHUSSETTS: Hundreds line up to attend wake of beloved Lily Jean captain

February 10, 2026 — Hundreds of mourners will fill St. Ann’s Catholic Church on Tuesday morning for the funeral of Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, the captain of the Lily Jean, a fishing vessel that sank off the coast of Cape Ann on Jan. 30.

The entire crew, including Sanfilippo, was killed. Only Sanfilippo’s body has been recovered from the boat.

Loved ones began lining up late Monday afternoon, bundled up against the raw and windy sea air in Gloucester, to attend Sanfilippo’s wake.

“The sadness in there is just unbelievable — he’s got a young son, a young daughter, they are crushed,” said friend Vito Giacalone.

Read the full article at WCVB

MASSACHUSETTS: Fishing council mourns loss of seven people in Gloucester fishing boat tragedy

February 6, 2026 — The council that oversees New England’s fishing industry on Friday recognized the loss of seven people who were aboard a fishing vessel when it sank off the coast of Cape Ann on Jan. 30.

“The New England Fishery Management Council extends our sincere condolences to the families, loved ones, and fishing communities affected by the tragic sinking of the F/V Lily Jean” the council said in a statement.

Seven people perished in the tragedy — the captain, Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, Paul Beal Sr., Paul Beal Jr., John Rousanidis, Freeman Short, Sean Therrien, and Jada Samitt, a NOAA fisheries observer who was aboard the vessel.

Read the full article at the The Boston Globe

MASSACHUSETTS: Gloucester nonprofit launches support fund for Lily Jean crew member families

February 5, 2026 — The Gloucester community launched a fund to help provide for the families of seven crew members who died last week when their fishing vessel sank.

The Lily Jean Fund, named after the vessel, was started after an outpouring of support from Gloucester residents. The crew members are presumed to have perished after their ship sank Jan. 30 approximately 22 miles from Cape Ann.

“In the wake of this tragedy, there have been overwhelming expressions of support for the families of those who were lost, along with requests for a clear and trusted way to provide direct financial assistance,” the fund’s website reads. “The Lily Jean Fund has been created for this purpose.”

Read the full article at Boston.com

MASSACHUSETTS: Tarr & Local Officials Share Ways to Support Families and Fishing Community Following Loss of F/V Lily Jean

February 4, 2026 — The following was released by Massachusetts Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr:

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) joined state, local, and community leaders today to announce verified and secure ways for the public to support the families and fishing community affected by the tragic loss of the Gloucester fishing vessel F/V Lily Jean.

On Friday, January 30, 2026, the Lily Jean sank approximately 22 miles off Cape Ann, resulting in the tragic loss of seven crew members. In the wake of this tragedy, there have been overwhelming expressions of support for the families of those who have been lost, and requests for a means for donors to provide direct financial assistance to those families.

“In the wake of this tragedy, there has been an extraordinary outpouring of compassion,” Tarr said. “People want to help, and it is critically important that they have clear, trusted, and transparent ways to do so—both to support the families directly and to ensure that essential services are available to the community.”

F/V Lily Jean Fund Established to Support Families

The F/V Lily Jean Fund has been established to provide direct financial assistance to the families of the seven crew members who perished. The fund accepts tax-deductible contributions, and 100 percent of all donations will be distributed in equal amounts directly to the families.

The fund is a project of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund (GFCPF) and is hosted by Cape Ann Savings Bank. This effort reflects a long-standing tradition within the Gloucester fishing community of standing together in times of profound loss.

GFCPF, also known locally as the Gloucester Permit Bank, was formed in 2007 to support fishermen, protect the working waterfront, and preserve Gloucester’s fishing heritage as the nation’s oldest seaport. Through its stewardship of fishing permits and quota, GFCPF has helped sustain a diverse, locally based fishing fleet and contributed more than $100 million to the local working waterfront economy.

Immediate and Ongoing Support Through Fishing Partnership Support Services

 Tarr also expressed deep gratitude to Fishing Partnership Support Services (FPSS) for its immediate response following the loss of the F/V Lily Jean and its continued commitment to supporting families and community members affected by this tragedy.

FPSS, created by and for the fishing community, is providing critical assistance to the families, including trauma and grief counseling, emergency financial assistance for food and housing, access to health care, and long-term recovery services.

“Fishing Partnership Support Services has been there from the very beginning, offering compassionate, practical support when it is needed most,” Tarr said. “Their work is essential to helping fishing families navigate both the immediate aftermath of loss and the long road ahead.”

Those wishing to support essential services provided by FPSS may donate at: https://fishingpartnership.org/donate

A Shared Loss Across Fishing Communities

While Gloucester mourns, Tarr noted that fishing communities across the region have also experienced loss. Martha’s Vineyard and Stonington, Connecticut lost fishermen this January, and communities in Maine endured devastating tragedies last year.

“These losses remind us of the risks fishermen face every time they leave port and of our responsibility to support the men and women who provide for our families, our economy, and our country,” Tarr said.

How to Help — Verified and Secure Ways to Donate

 F/V Lily Jean Fund

  • Donate online: https://fvlilyjeanfund.org
  • Donate by check:
    • Payable to:       Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund (GFCPF)
      Memo line:       Lily Jean Fund

Mail to:             Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund | c/o Cape Ann Savings Bank

109 Main Street, Gloucester, MA 01930

Fishing Partnership Support Services