1 Dead, 6 Missing After Fishing Boat Sinks Off MA Coast

GLOUCESTER, MA — One person is dead and six people are missing after a fishing boat sank off the coast of Massachusetts on Friday, according to authorities and reports.

The U.S. Coast Guard Northeast District said it began a search-and-rescue effort around 6:50 a.m. after it received an emergency call from the 72-foot fishing vessel Lily Jean.

The search was suspended on Saturday afternoon, officials said in a later update.

The vessel was located about 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann when it activated its emergency position-indicating radio beacon, officials said. The Coast Guard attempted to contact the vessel but received no response.

After helicopter and boat crews were called to assist with the search, authorities located a debris field near the location of the emergency beacon, the Coast Guard said.

Authorities said one unresponsive body was recovered from the water. A life raft associated with the vessel was also found, but it was unoccupied.

At a news conference held on Friday, Coast Guard Cmdr. Timothy Jones said the vessel had been returning to Gloucester with fish and had then intended to return to sea, according to a New York Times report.

The air temperature when the boat sent its emergency alert was around 6 degrees, with a wind chill of 6 degrees below zero, according to the National Weather Service. The water temperature at Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester on Friday was about 40 degrees.

While authorities did not identify the vessel's occupants, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said the event has deeply impacted their close-knit community, WHDH reported.

“The skipper of this vessel is well-known to all of us. He’s one of the kindest, nicest individuals on the face of this earth. He’s very skilled, his family comes from a tradition of fishing, and he is one of those in this sport that is considered among the best,” Tarr said.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healy also released a statement addressing the incident.

"Fishermen and fishing vessels are core to the history, economy and culture of Gloucester and Cape Ann, and this tragedy is felt across the state," she said.