Local News
One Body Recovered After FV Lily Jean Sinks Off Gloucester Coast, Seven People Aboard
GLOUCESTER, Mass. — Authorities are continuing search and rescue efforts after a commercial fishing vessel sank off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts, with seven people believed to be on board.
The United States Coast Guard confirmed that one body has been recovered from the water as crews search for the remaining missing crew members.
The incident involves the Lily Jean, a fishing vessel reported to be between 72 and 80 feet in length, which went down Friday morning off Cape Ann.
According to a Coast Guard spokesperson, watchstanders received an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) alert from the Lily Jean at approximately 6:50 a.m.
Initially, authorities reported that six people were on board; however, state officials later confirmed that the vessel was carrying seven individuals at the time of the incident.
After attempts to contact the vessel were unsuccessful, the Coast Guard immediately launched a large-scale search operation, deploying an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter and a small boat crew to the area of the distress signal.
Crews subsequently located a debris field approximately 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann, near the location where the EPIRB signal was activated.
During the search, responders recovered an unoccupied life raft and located one deceased individual in the water.
The identity of the deceased has not been released pending notification of next of kin.
The remaining six crew members are still unaccounted for.
Officials said the Lily Jean had reported that it was taking on water before losing contact.
The vessel is now presumed to have sunk.
Search efforts remain active, with the Coast Guard utilizing multiple air and sea assets as weather and sea conditions permit.
The tragedy has deeply affected Gloucester’s close-knit fishing community.
Ashley Sullivan, a local business owner who knows the vessel’s owner, expressed her grief, emphasizing the risks fishermen face daily. “I hope everyone takes a step back and really looks at the sacrifices these men make day in and day out just to put food on our table,” she said. “It’s very emotional and very heartbreaking.”
Massachusetts State Senator Bruce Tarr also offered condolences, noting the city’s long maritime history. “Gloucester has a long fishing history, and that fishing history includes tragic loss,” Tarr said. “It appears we are suffering another one of those losses right now.”
Governor Maura Healey released a statement expressing her sympathy and support, saying she was “heartbroken over the devastating news out of Gloucester about the sinking of the Lily Jean.” She added that her administration has offered full assistance to local officials and the Coast Guard and extended prayers to the crew’s families and the broader fishing community across Cape Ann and the state.
Community members and local businesses have also shared messages of support and prayer.
The Lily Jean was captained by local fisherman Gus Sanfilippo and reportedly crewed by deckhands Paul Beal Sr. and Paul Beal Jr., a father-and-son team.
Authorities and community sources said a younger crew member from Lynn and a federal fisheries observer were also on board.
There may have been an additional crew member, though that has not yet been confirmed by officials.
The Lily Jean was previously featured on the History Channel series Nor’Easter Men, highlighting the vessel’s role in New England’s commercial fishing industry.
As search operations continue, officials have urged the public to keep the missing crew members and their families in their thoughts and prayers.
The Coast Guard has stated that further updates will be released as more information becomes available.
Local News
29-Year-Old Alex Rodriguez Found Dead on University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign, No Foul Play Suspected
URBANA, Ill. — A 29-year-old Champaign man found dead on the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus Monday morning has been identified as Alex C. Rodriguez, according to the Champaign County Coroner’s Office.
The University of Illinois Police Department (UIPD) responded to the area of Green and Wright streets at approximately 6:42 a.m. after receiving a report of an unresponsive person near the Alma Mater statue.
Officers arrived and found Rodriguez on a concrete bench. Emergency medical assistance was requested at the scene.
The Champaign County Coroner’s Office responded, and Rodriguez was pronounced dead at approximately 7:16 a.m., according to Coroner Laurie Brauer.
Authorities said Rodriguez was not affiliated with the University of Illinois.
UIPD provided an update Monday afternoon, saying preliminary observations at the scene revealed no signs of foul play.
Police also said there was no evidence of an ongoing threat to the university campus or surrounding community based on the information available when officers responded.
Because investigators did not identify an active threat, the university did not issue an Illini-Alert emergency notification.
The circumstances surrounding Rodriguez’s death have not been determined.
An autopsy has been scheduled, and the death remains under investigation by the University of Illinois Police Department.
Authorities have not released additional information about the circumstances leading to Rodriguez’s death.
The investigation remains ongoing, and additional details are expected as investigators receive further information from the autopsy and other evidence.
No foul play has been indicated based on the preliminary investigation.