‘We stand together’: Gloucester lawmaker says of Mass. community shaken by fishing boat tragedy
A Gloucester lawmaker has paid tribute to the rescue workers who braved freezing temperatures and rough seas to search for the survivors of a fishing boat thatsank off the coast of Cape Annon Friday.
"Every day, men and women leave ports like Gloucester to harvest the bounty of the ocean for the people of our state and our nation, carrying with them the very real risk of not returning home," Sen. Bruce E. Tarr, R-1st Essex/Middlesex, said in a statement.
Tarr, the top Republican in the Massachusetts Senate, said residents of his North Shore district were "deeply appreciative of the ongoing and courageous efforts of the United States Coast Guard, whose personnel continue to search through the night, in dangerous conditions, for the crew of the F/V Lily Jean ."
As of Friday night, rescuers had recovered the body of one person who was not wearing a survival suit.
There were seven people aboard the boat at the time, which was heading back to Gloucester after a fishing trip. One of the seven people aboard may have been a federal fisheries observer rather than a crew member, Tarr said Friday.
Tarr said the boat's skipper is a close, personal friend who is "very, very skilled at what he does" and "comes from a fishing family."
The Coast Guard had received an emergency position-indicating radio beacon alert registered to a 72-foot fishing boat known as The Lily Jean around 6:50 a.m. Friday. By the time officials arrived, the vessel was underwater and just floating debris was left behind. The boat's life raft was deployed and empty in the water.
"I can promise you that the state will do anything and everything we can to support these families and to support this Gloucester community, and tonight, we pray for those at sea … and we pray most deeply for their families and their loved ones," Gov. Maura Healey said Friday.
In his statement, Tarr offered his thanks to the Gloucester Police Department, Gloucester's Harbor Masters, elected officials "and all of those who are supporting the community during this difficult time."
"We are praying for those aboard the vessel and their families who are enduring the anguish of not knowing the fate of their loved ones," he said.
"Most of all, we stand together with those families, sustained by the enduring strength, unity, compassion, and faith that have long defined the Gloucester community since its earliest days," the Republican lawmaker said.
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