Investigators seek answers on sinking of Lily Jean off Gloucester, hopeful to locate wreckage

Crews at the local, state and federal level are continuing an extensive investigation roughly 20 miles off the Massachusetts coast as they work to locate the fishing vessel Lily Jean and determine what led to its sinking and the deaths of seven crew members late last month.

The seven people who were on board the Lily Jean have been identified by the Coast Guard as:

• Accursio "Gus" Sanfilippo, captain
• Paul Beal Sr., crew
• Paul Beal Jr., crew
• John Rousanidis, crew
• Freeman Short, crew
• Sean Therrien, crew
• Jada Samitt, NOAA fisheries observer  

A memorial service for the crew was held earlier this month at Saint Ann Church in Gloucester. 

"Only God knows what happened"

Loved ones in Gloucester and beyond are still grappling with the tragedy three weeks after the vessel sank. Only the body of Sanfilippo has been recovered so far.

"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," said Rick Beal, the brother of Paul Beal Sr. and uncle of Paul Beal Jr., a father and son who were apart of the Lily Jean crew.

Officials said state, local and federal agencies are collaborating on a large-scale, ongoing investigation aimed at providing answers.

"The reality right now is we have a situation where we essentially have a grave out at sea, and that is a very, very difficult, difficult situation for all of these family members," Gov. Maura Healey said.

Search for sunken Lily Jean

Crews have been scanning waters with sonar about 350 feet below the surface, collecting data on abnormalities on the ocean floor in hopes of locating the vessel. The search area established around debris and an unoccupied lifeboat discovered during the initial rescue mission, spans about 20 square kilometers, according to NOAA.

Topographic data gathered during the search is being reviewed to determine whether conditions will allow teams to deploy a remotely operated vehicle to photograph the area.

Investigators say the effort will take time.

"A thorough and credible investigation takes time and will be methodical and comprehensive as we ask for the community's patience and work to find answers over the next coming months," said LCDR Brett Igo, of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Officials emphasized that multiple investigations are moving forward simultaneously, including efforts by the U.S. Coast Guard, NOAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

"Whenever something happens like this, that's unexpected and doesn't make sense, it is an inevitable conclusion that if we can find out information about what happened, we will learn from it," said State Sen. Bruce Tarr, (R-Gloucester).

Financial assistance for Lily Jean families

During the Wednesday briefing, Tarr also highlighted resources being provided to support the families of the victims, including counseling and financial assistance.

The Fishing Vessel Lily Jean Fund has been established to accept donations, with all proceeds going directly to the victims' families.

Leaders say the focus remains on both finding answers and helping those affected by the loss.

Officials say crews will continue monitoring ocean conditions and analyzing data as they work to locate the vessel and determine what led to the sinking.

Gloucester Mayor Paul Lundberg says all the victims names will be memorialized on the city's Fisherman's Memorial later this year.