Overview
- The Navy formally told Governor Maura Healey in a letter dated July 27 that it cannot fulfill a request to provide salvage and recovery assistance for the Lily Jean wreck.
- The letter was received by the governor’s office in early August and said the Navy remains in contact with the NTSB and the U.S. Coast Guard about the investigation.
- Healey had asked the Navy specifically to help retrieve video equipment from the sunken 72-foot fishing vessel and to assess the feasibility of recovering the remains of crew members to aid families and investigators.
- The NTSB is leading the probe into the Jan. 30 sinking about 25 miles off Cape Ann and has not planned to recover the boat as part of its inquiry, leaving Massachusetts to press state-led recovery and evidence efforts.
- Salvage in deep, cold Atlantic waters requires specialized assets and carries limits set by agency roles and resources, so state officials say they will pursue other avenues to obtain evidence and try to bring closure to families.