RICHMOND, Va. — Jada Samitt, 22, was identified by her family in Richmond, Virginia as one of the crew members who died when the fishing vessel Lily Jean sank off the coast of Massachusetts last week. The U.S. Coast Guard on Saturday suspended its search for survivors in rough, frigid waters.
"It is with profound sadness and shattered hearts that we share the loss of our beloved Jada," her family in Richmond said in a statement. "She was vibrant and compassionate with an infectious smile and spirit. And, above all, she was brave and determined. She fiercely loved her friends and family. Today we are lost without her."
Samitt was working on the Lily Jean as a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration fishery observer and crew member.
Fishery observers collect data on board fishing boats for the government to use to craft regulations.
"Jada was on the Lily Jean that day because of her strong belief in her work, not only as an observer, but as someone who knew her important role as a crew member," the statement read. "She proved herself to be so on every trip, and conveyed to us how critical it was to protect the seas and fisheries. We could not be more proud of and grateful to her for it."
Samitt graduated from the University of Vermont in 2025.
"Jada was from Virginia, but her roots ran deep here and she loved these waters," the family's statement continued. "We are devastated by her loss and the pure tragedy of the unthinkable, unimaginable events that took her from us far too early. Our thoughts and prayers are with the friends and families of all aboard the Lily Jean and the greater Gloucester community."
The Sinking
The Coast Guard launched a search and rescue mission early Friday, Jan. 30, after receiving an alert from the 72-foot (22-meter) Lily Jean about 25 miles (40 kilometers) off Cape Ann. Searchers found a debris field near where the alert was sent along with a body in the water and an empty life raft, the Coast Guard said.
Crews covered about 1,000 square miles (2,589 square kilometers) using aircraft, cutters and small boats over a 24-hour period. However, after consultation between search and rescue mission coordinators and on-scene commanders, the Coast Guard announced Saturday that it had determined that all reasonable search efforts for the missing crew members had been exhausted.
Officials said there wasn’t a mayday call from Lily Jean as it navigated the frigid Atlantic Ocean on its way home to Gloucester, Massachusetts, America’s oldest fishing port. The Coast Guard was notified by the boat’s beacon that alerts when it hits the water.
The Coast Guard is investigating the cause of the sinking.
“We are deep in sorrow, but we are a strong community, and we will rise, we will rise to this occasion,” Republican state Sen. Bruce Tarr said during an emotional news conference Saturday.
Weather conditions made search difficult
The Coast Guard’s Sector Boston commander, Jamie Frederick, said frigid temperatures and stormy conditions made finding survivors at night difficult, a task made more challenging as a nor’easter approached the East Coast last weekend.
Searchers dealt with 7- to 10-foot seas and freezing ocean spray, Frederick said.
At the time of the emergency alert, the National Weather Service said wind speeds out at sea were around 27 mph (24 knots) with waves around 4 feet high. It was 12 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 11 degrees Celsius) with water temperatures about 39 F (4 C.)
Frederick said there was “no single clue" to lead officials to determine what happened to the Lily Jean so far.
“The debris looked like anything that would be loose on a deck, things that float off a fishing deck,” he said.
Another tragedy befalls fishing town
It is the latest maritime tragedy to befall Gloucester and its close-knit community of people in the fishing business.
The city that inspired “The Perfect Storm” is tied to its fishing heritage in a way that has brought 400 years of history and, sometimes, tragedy. That book and movie were inspired by the FV Andrea Gail, which went missing at sea in 1991.
Vito Giacalone, head of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund, described the fishing community as a brotherhood that was grieving and in shock.
“Everybody's just heartbroken,” Giacalone told The Associated Press in a phone interview Saturday. “To have that many lives lost all at once, we haven't seen that in a long time.”
Paul Lundberg, Gloucester's mayor, said the names of those on the Lily Jean would be added to a city memorial honoring thousands of fishermen who have been lost at sea.
Captain is a beloved fisherman
The Lily Jean, its captain, Gus Sanfilippo, and his crew were featured in a 2012 episode of the History Channel show “Nor’Easter Men.”
Sanfilippo is described as a fifth-generation commercial fisherman, fishing out of Gloucester, in the Georges Bank.
The crew is shown working in dangerous weather conditions for hours on end, spending as many as 10 days at sea on one trip fishing for haddock, lobster and flounder.
“We loved each other,” Giacalone said about his relationship with Sanfilippo. “He treated me like a big brother and I treated him like my younger brother. To know the tragedy of this and to know the kind of character that Gus had, he'd be mortified to know that these lives were all lost.”
Father and son among crew of 7 on fishing boat Lily Jean
Ricky Beal told WBZ-TV on Saturday that his brother Paul Beal and nephew Paul Jr. were on board the vessel when it sank.
"It's just devastating. I can't explain it," Beal said.
"I started fishing first, and Paul was, he used to come along with me, and then he worked on some of the party boats, the boats for hire," Beal said. "The support from the community has been unbelievable."
Greg Sousa owns the Crow's Nest in Gloucester and knows several of the fisherman onboard the Lily Jean who are presumed dead.
"It's a real local boat with real local guys," Sousa said. "Everyone is talking about it. Paul is one of the good guys. PJ, you know, father and son gone at the same time."
Commercial fishing is dangerous
Deep-sea fishing in New England can always be hazardous, but it can be especially dangerous in the winter because of high waves, frigid temperatures and unpredictable weather. Commercial fishing is often cited as one of the most dangerous jobs in the world.
Everett Sawyer, 55, a childhood friend of Sanfilippo, said he has known 25 people who were lost at sea. Cold winter conditions can complicate operations even for experienced sailors, Sawyer said.
“Things happen very quickly when you’re out on the ocean,” he said.
Both the AP and CNN Wire contributed to this report.
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