GLOUCESTER, Mass. — The U.S. Coast Guard is expected to provide another update later today on the fishing vessel that sank off the coast of Gloucester with seven crew members on board, a tragedy that has deeply impacted the city’s tight-knit fishing community.
The search for survivors was officially called off over the weekend, and the remaining six crew members are now presumed dead.
While most of the crew has not yet been publicly identified, many in Gloucester say they already knew them — or knew their families — highlighting just how personal the loss has been.
A small memorial has been set up in the city as residents gather to mourn those lost at sea.
Boston 25 News spoke with Michael Veil, who spent more than a decade fishing aboard the original “Lily Jean” with Captain Gus Sanfilippo, whose body was recovered following the sinking. Veil described Sanfilippo as both a mentor and a close friend.
[ ‘Taught me everything I know’: Captain of missing Gloucester vessel identified ]
Veil says when word spread Friday morning that there had been a tragedy offshore, his heart sank.
“Gussie was like a brother to me for so many years,” Veil said. “He looked out for me. He let me live on the Lily Jean. He helped me get on my feet. He taught me everything I know about offshore fishing. He was my hero.”
Sanfilippo’s body was identified in the wake of the disaster, with a young fisheries observer and five other crew members presumed dead.
Over the weekend, family members, friends, and neighbors gathered for a church service to pray and remember the crew, reflecting the deep roots fishing has in Gloucester and the shared sense of grief felt throughout the community.
Meanwhile, the investigation into what caused the vessel to sink remains ongoing. Officials say they are still working to determine what went wrong and are also in the process of formally identifying all crew members who were on board.
The Coast Guard is expected to release additional information later today.
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