What caused it is not as important as retrieving the crew
Four months after the fishing vessel Lily Jean sank in the Atlantic off Massachusetts, taking seven lives into waters more than 300 feet deep, Governor Maura Healey has turned to the U.S. Navy — not only to retrieve the electronic evidence that might explain the tragedy, but to return six missing crew members to the families who cannot yet grieve fully. It is a moment that reminds us how the sea, indifferent to human plans and farewells, can leave the living suspended between loss and closure.
- Six crew members remain on the ocean floor more than 300 feet down, four months after the Lily Jean sank 25 miles off the Massachusetts coast on January 30th.
- Governor Healey and State Senator Tarr have formally asked the Secretary of the Navy to intervene, as neither the NTSB nor the Coast Guard is equipped or mandated to conduct body recoveries at that depth.
- A video recorder and hard drive aboard the wreck could hold the answer to what caused the sinking, but reaching them requires specialized deep-water capability that only the Navy can provide.
- The Navy has confirmed receipt of the request and is preparing a response, while NTSB and Coast Guard investigations continue in parallel.
- For families like that of 31-year-old Freeman Short — who spoke to his mother days before his final voyage — the question of cause is secondary to the need to bring their loved ones home.
On January 30th, the 72-foot fishing vessel Lily Jean sank in the Atlantic roughly 25 miles off the Massachusetts coast, killing all seven crew members aboard. The wreck now rests more than 300 feet below the surface. Only one body — that of Captain Accursio "Gus" Sanfilippo — has been recovered. Six others remain in the deep.
This week, Governor Maura Healey and State Senator Bruce Tarr wrote to the Secretary of the Navy requesting assistance in reaching the wreck. Their goal is twofold: to recover the six missing crew members, and to retrieve a video recorder and hard drive that may reveal what happened in the vessel's final moments. The Navy confirmed it received the request and is preparing a response.
The morning the Lily Jean went down, Coast Guard watchstanders received an emergency beacon alert just before 7 a.m. A search spanning more than 1,000 square miles over 24 hours turned up debris, the captain's body, and a deployed but empty life raft. By January 31st, the Coast Guard suspended the operation, having determined that reasonable search efforts were exhausted.
Among the six still missing is Freeman Short, 31 years old, who had been planning his wedding. His mother, Donna Short, spoke with him just days before he departed. She remembers him saying goodbye, and she told him she loved him. Her wish now is simple and profound: to bring him home to rest beside his grandfathers. "What caused it," she said, "is not as important as retrieving the crew."
The NTSB and Coast Guard continue their investigations, focused on maritime safety rather than blame or recovery. For the families, however, the purpose of any investigation is secondary — what matters is the chance to lay their loved ones to rest.
On a January morning off the Massachusetts coast, a 72-foot fishing vessel called the Lily Jean went down in the Atlantic, taking seven crew members with it. Now, four months later, Governor Maura Healey is asking the U.S. Navy to help retrieve what remains—both the bodies still missing and the electronic evidence that might explain why the boat sank.
The Lily Jean went under on January 30th in waters about 25 miles from shore, deep enough that the wreck now rests more than 300 feet down. Only one body has been recovered: Captain Accursio "Gus" Sanfilippo. Six others remain in the water. Healey and State Senator Bruce Tarr sent a letter to the Secretary of the Navy this week requesting assistance in retrieving a video recorder and hard drive from the wreck—equipment that could provide crucial information about what happened in those final moments. The Navy confirmed receipt of the request and said a response is being prepared for the governor's office.
The six who died include crew members Paul Beal Jr., John Rousanidis, Freeman Short, and Sean Therrien, along with Jada Samitt, a NOAA fisheries observer. Freeman Short was 31 years old and had been planning his wedding. His mother, Donna Short, spoke to him just days before he left on that final trip. "He told me, 'Hey mom, you know I'm going to be going,' and I told him I loved him," she recalled. For her, the priority is clear: recovering his body so he can be laid to rest next to his grandfathers, both veterans. "What caused it is not as important as retrieving the crew," she said.
The morning the Lily Jean went down, Coast Guard watchstanders received an emergency position indicating radio beacon alert around 6:50 a.m. When crews couldn't reach the vessel, they launched a search across 1,047 square miles over 24 hours. They found debris, the captain's body, and an unoccupied life raft that had been deployed, but no sign of the other crew members. By January 31st, the Coast Guard determined that all reasonable search efforts had been exhausted and suspended the operation.
The investigation into the sinking involves both the National Transportation Safety Board and the U.S. Coast Guard. The NTSB has stated it does not conduct body recoveries, leaving the responsibility to other agencies. The Coast Guard's role, as officials explained at the time, is to identify safety improvements for maritime operations, not to assign blame. But for the families waiting, the investigation's purpose matters less than the recovery itself—the chance to bring their loved ones home.
Notable Quotes
He told me, 'Hey mom, you know I'm going to be going,' and I told him I loved him.— Donna Short, mother of crew member Freeman Short
The purpose of a Coast Guard investigation is to identify measures that can improve the safety of life and property at sea, not to assign civil or criminal blame.— U.S. Coast Guard statement
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why is the Navy being asked now, four months after the sinking? Why not immediately?
The immediate search was about finding survivors. Once that window closed, the focus shifted to understanding what happened and recovering the bodies. That requires different equipment and expertise—deep-water salvage work the Navy can provide.
What's on that video recorder and hard drive that matters so much?
It could show the final moments—what the crew was doing, what the weather was, whether there was a mechanical failure or human error. For the families, it's also about closure. They want to know their loved ones didn't die because of negligence.
The mother said the cause doesn't matter as much as recovery. Do you think that's true for everyone?
Probably not. Some families will want answers about why. But right now, six families can't even bury their dead. That's the immediate weight they're carrying.
What happens if the Navy says no?
Then the bodies stay down there, and the investigation continues without that evidence. The families would have to live with that incompleteness.
Is this common—governors asking the Navy for help with civilian maritime disasters?
Not routine, but not unheard of when the wreck is deep and the stakes are high. It signals how seriously the state is taking this, and how much pressure there is to do more than the initial search allowed.