Overview
- Seven people died when the F/V Lily Jean sank off Cape Ann on Jan. 30, the council said in a Friday statement.
- The victims were identified as captain Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, Paul Beal Sr., Paul Beal Jr., John Rousanidis, Freeman Short, Sean Therrien, and NOAA fisheries observer Jada Samitt.
- The council called the loss a solemn reminder of the risks fishermen face each time they head to sea.
- A donation site run through Cape Ann Savings Bank is collecting funds to be distributed equally to the families, with online giving at fvlilyjeanfund.org via the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund.
- The council noted Gloucester’s significance as the nation’s oldest fishing port and outlined its jurisdiction over federal waters from 3 to 200 miles off the coasts of the five New England states.