Authorities are using deep-sea tech to try to find the sunken fishing
boat off Massachusetts
[February 19, 2026]
By RODRIQUE NGOWI and PATRICK WHITTLE
GLOUCESTER, Mass. (AP) — A coalition of authorities is deploying
technology to try to locate the wreck of a fishing boat that sank last
month off Massachusetts, killing all seven aboard. But winter weather
and sea conditions have thus far slowed their efforts.
The 72-foot (22-meter) vessel Lily Jean was returning to port early Jan.
30 to repair fishing gear when it sank in frigid Atlantic waters off the
historic fishing port of Gloucester. Multiple agencies, including the
U.S. Coast Guard, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and
Massachusetts Environmental Police, are cooperating to try to find the
wreck of the ship and potentially recover the bodies of the deceased,
officials said Wednesday.
The Lily Jean sank in waters that were more than 300 feet deep and very
inhospitable in winter. Environmental police have deployed side-scan
sonar to try to gather data and detect anomalies on the ocean floor,
officials said. They said they also hope to be able to send a remotely
operated vehicle to the site to gather photos and video, but seas have
thus far made that challenging.
Officials will provide updates to the community that is still grieving
the loss of the victims, said Massachusetts Senate Minority Leader Bruce
Tarr, a Republican of Gloucester.
“One of the most haunting things about grief or loss at sea is the not
knowing," Tarr said during a news conference on Wednesday. “Answering
those questions requires a tremendous amount of effort.”
The Coast Guard initially launched a search and rescue mission after
receiving an alert from the vessel about 25 miles (40 kilometers) off
Cape Ann. Searchers found a debris field near where the alert was sent
along with a body in the water and an empty life raft, the Coast Guard
said. The search was suspended the following day, and the community has
rallied around the families of the victims since.
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Gloucester is America's oldest seaport and is well known for its
close-knit fishing community. The book and movie “The Perfect Storm”
were inspired by the FV Andrea Gail, which went missing at sea in
1991.
Coast Guard officials identified the victims of the sinking of the
Lily Jean as captain Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo and crew members Paul
Beal Sr., Paul Beal Jr., John Rousanidis, Freeman Short and Sean
Therrien. Also aboard was Jada Samitt, a fisheries observer for the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Ricky Beal, brother of Paul Beal Sr., said during Wednesday's news
conference that he is hopeful the investigation will help families
in the community better understand what happened. He also encouraged
anyone following the investigation not to spread false information
about it.
"As of now, hopefully in the future, the investigation will give us
some light on what happened. But as of now, only God knows what
happened that fateful morning,” Beal said.
The Lily Jean, Sanfilippo, and his crew were featured in a 2012
episode of the History Channel show “Nor’Easter Men.” The captain is
described as a fifth-generation commercial fisherman, out of
Gloucester, in the Georges Bank. The crew is shown working in
dangerous weather conditions for hours on end, spending as many as
10 days offshore catching haddock, lobster and flounder.
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Whittle reported from Portland, Maine.
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