Tragic Final Conversation Revealed Before Fishing Vessel Disaster
A television star fisherman who vanished with his entire crew when their ship sank off the Massachusetts coast shared a heartbreaking final phone call with a close friend just hours before the tragedy unfolded. Captain Gus Sanfilippo, skipper of the 72-foot fishing vessel Lily Jean, is now presumed dead alongside six other seamen after their boat capsized in frigid East Coast waters on Friday.
Desperate Search Called Off After 24 Hours
The desperate search operation for the missing crew was officially suspended on Saturday morning, with rescue authorities making what they described as an incredibly difficult decision. Sanfilippo's friend and fellow fishing captain, Sebastian Noto, has since come forward to reveal intimate details of their final conversation, which occurred around 3am on Friday morning.
Noto, who was sailing approximately thirty miles east of Sanfilippo's position at the time of their call, told NBC10 Boston that the two fishermen maintained constant communication while working. "We usually work together all the time. We are like glue, man. We give a lot of information back-and-forth," Noto explained emotionally.
Chilling Details of Final Exchange
During their conversation, Sanfilippo reportedly complained about suffering from extreme cold aboard the Lily Jean as temperatures plunged to around 12 degrees Fahrenheit in the area. "He just couldn't do the cold because the air holes were freezing," Noto recalled, adding that Sanfilippo told him directly: "I quit. It's too cold."
Several hours after this exchange, Noto grew increasingly concerned when he failed to hear from his friend for the remainder of the day. "I said, this is a serious situation," he told reporters, his voice heavy with emotion.
Mystery Surrounds Vessel's Disappearance
The cause of the Lily Jean's sudden disappearance remains shrouded in mystery, particularly because the crew never issued a Mayday distress call. United States Coast Guard officials were instead alerted by the vessel's emergency beacon, which automatically activated when the boat hit the water.
Noto speculated that mechanical issues might have played a role, possibly involving problems with the ship's bilge pump system. However, he expressed complete bafflement about why no emergency signal was transmitted. "Just a guess, I could be wrong you know because even if the bilge is taking water, you got plenty of time to call Mayday," Noto explained. "You got plenty of time to get into the survival suit, life raft. The boat takes time to sink."
Search Operation and Recovery Efforts
A major rescue mission was launched when the US Coast Guard received the radio beacon alert from the Lily Jean shortly before 7am on Friday. Despite covering a massive 1,000 square mile area with multiple aircraft, cutters, and small boats, searchers found only one body in the water alongside an empty life raft.
Rescue teams worked through the night contending with below-freezing temperatures and dangerous icy sea sprays. The six crew members who remain missing are all presumed dead due to the extreme conditions, with sea temperatures hovering around 39 degrees Fahrenheit.
Fifth-Generation Fisherman with Television Fame
Sanfilippo was a fifth-generation commercial fisherman operating out of Gloucester, Massachusetts, in the historic Georges Bank fishing grounds. He achieved minor celebrity status when he, along with the Lily Jean and its crew, appeared in a 2012 episode of the History Channel documentary series Nor'Easter Men.
The television episode showcased the crew working in perilous weather conditions for extended periods, sometimes spending up to ten consecutive days at sea while fishing for haddock, lobster, and flounder.
Community Mourns Fishing Tragedy
The fishing community of Gloucester has been devastated by the loss. Gloucester Council President Tony Gross, a retired fisherman himself, joined other elected officials at the city's harbor after learning about the missing vessel, calling the incident a "huge tragedy for this community."
Vito Giacalone, head of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund, remembered Sanfilippo from the captain's early commercial fishing days. "Commercial fishing is a really tough living to begin with, and it's as safe as the elements and all of the things allow it to be," Giacalone reflected. "Gus was a very seasoned, experienced fisherman."
Political Figures Express Grief
Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey issued a statement saying she was "heartbroken" to learn about the boat's sinking. "I am praying for the crew, and my heart goes out to their loved ones and all Gloucester fishing families during this awful time," the governor expressed.
Republican State Senator Bruce Tarr, who confirmed seven people were aboard the vessel, grew emotional while discussing Sanfilippo, whom he considered a good friend. "He's a person that has a big smile, and he gives you a warm embrace when he sees you," Tarr remembered. "He is very, very skilled at what he does."
Tarr added that "the fact that vessel now rests at the bottom of the ocean is very hard to understand," given the captain's extensive experience and reputation within the fishing community.
Investigation Underway
The Coast Guard has initiated a formal marine casualty investigation, though officials acknowledge there has been "no single clue" discovered yet about what caused the Lily Jean to sink. Jamie Frederick, the Coast Guard's sector Boston commander, explained that suspending the search represented "an incredibly difficult and painstaking decision" made only after determining all reasonable search efforts had been exhausted.
"Based on the totality of circumstances, the frigid water and air temperatures and the time since the vessel sank, I believe there is no longer a reasonable expectation that anyone could have survived this long, even if they had been wearing a survival suit," Commander Frederick stated.
Victims Remembered
While most crew members haven't been officially identified, the family of 22-year-old biology graduate student Jada Samitt confirmed to WFXT that she was aboard the Lily Jean when it sank. The tragedy has left the tight-knit fishing community grappling with profound loss and unanswered questions about what exactly transpired in those final, freezing hours before the vessel disappeared beneath the waves.
