The TV star fisherman who vanished with his crew off the coast of Massachusetts after their boat sank reportedly had a concerning call with his pal – hours before the tragedy on Friday.
Gus Sanfilippo, skipper of the Lily Jean, and six others are presumed dead after their 72-foot fishing vessel capsized when temperatures at sea were a bone-chilling 12 degrees.
Fisherman Sebastian Noto claimed he spoke with Sanfilippo — a fifth-generation commercial fisherman out of Gloucester, Mass. — at around 3 a.m, where the two discussed the outdoor conditions.
Gus Sanfilippo, captain of the fishing vessel Lily Jean, had a worrying call with his friend hours before his vessel capsized. Facebook
“I quit. It’s too cold,” Sanfilippo reportedly told Noto, according to NBC Boston. “He was calm. He just couldn’t do the cold because the air holes were freezing.”
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Noto became concerned when there was no sign of Sanfilippo hours later.
“I was about 30 miles east of him. We usually work together all the time. We are like glue man. We give a lot of information back-and-forth,” Noto told the outlet.
A Coast Guard helicopter and boat scrambled to the area where the boat sent a beacon alert distress signal – around 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann, Mass. This search was suspended on Saturday.
There was no Mayday call from the vessel and around 1,000 square miles were searched, according to Coast Guard officials.
Crews deployed aircraft, cutters and small boats over 24 hours as they battled polar conditions.
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No Mayday call was sent by the Lily Jean. facebookBoats tied up in Gloucester, Ma, amid the freezing conditions. AP
“The decision to suspend the search was incredibly difficult,” said Capt. Jamie Frederick, commander of Coast Guard Sector Boston. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all the family members and friends of the lost crew of the Lilly Jean, and with the entire Gloucester community during this heartbreaking time.”
The cause of the incident is under investigation
Sanfilippo and his crew on the Lily Jean starred in an episode of “Nor’Easter Men” which aired on the History Channel in 2012. The crew spent days at sea trying to find seafood.
One body has been found and six others are missing, according to WFXT. An empty life raft and debris were also found in the water.
Environmental biology graduate Jada Samitt, 22, was on board the boat, her family told the outlet.
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Mourners have paid tribute to the missing crew. AP
Her devastated aunt Heather Michaels said being at sea was Samitt’s “dream.”
“This is something she loved and put her heart and soul into,” Michaels said.
Vito Giacalone, head of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund, said he was left “heartbroken” by the sinking.
“To have that many lives lost all at once, we haven’t seen that in a long time.”
CHELMSFORD, MASS. (WHDH) – A wrong-way driver crashed into another vehicle on I-495 in Chelmsford Tuesday night, shutting down the soundbound lanes in that area, according to Massachusetts State Police and The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).
State police said Troopers from the Concord Barracks responded to a two-car crash on I-495 at the Hunt Road overpass shortly before 10 p.m. They said preliminary information indicates the crash happened as a result of a wrong-way driver striking a vehicle traveling in the correct direction.
Chelmsford Fire and EMS responded to the scene, and the driver was taken to the hospital by MedFlight. State police said they suffered life-threatening injuries.
MassDOT said the highway southbound is currently closed at exit 88 due to the crash, and is expected to remain closed for several hours.
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Drivers are asked to seek alternate routes at this time.
This is a developing news story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest details.
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Two people were seriously injured in a stabbing at the Cedar’s Mediterranean Foods manufacturing facility in Haverhill, Massachusetts, on Tuesday morning.
Haverhill police said they responded to the Cedar’s plan on Foundation Avenue around 10:30 a.m. for a report of a disturbance involving a weapon. When they arrived, they found two people suffering from apparent stab wounds.
Both people were provided with medical assistance on scene and taken to area hospitals with what police described as serious injuries. Their names have not been released, and no update on their conditions was immediately available.
Preliminary investigation determined that the two people knew each other, and police said there is no ongoing threat to the public. They said their investigation into the incident remains active.
Two Plymouth, Massachusetts teens were saved from the summit of Mount Washington after a leg injury stranded them.
Khang Nguyen,17, said he and his friend, 18-year-old Vaughn Webb, thought they were well prepared for their hike on Saturday. They brought trekking poles, layers, microspikes for their boots and more.
But halfway up the trail, Nguyen feared the worst when his leg began to hurt.
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“It was just incredibly painful to lift up my right leg,” he explained. “I told [Vaughn] to leave me behind so I could go on my own pace and for him to reach the summit to get help at first.”
The pair managed to reach the top of the mountain but had to seek shelter next to a building as wind gusts increased, and the air temperature reached 38 degrees. Nguyen said they also ran out of food and water. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department received the 911 call around 7:30 p.m. and quickly alerted a State Park employee who began to search for the two teens.
“Conservation Officers then began responding in four-wheel-drive pickup trucks to try and get to the summit and back ahead of incoming snow,” the game department said in a statement.
After around 30 minutes of reaching both Webb and Nguyen were found. They were taken inside a building and Nguyen was being treated for his injury.
“The worker that was up there, [said] that they came in record time, and we appreciate their help a lot. It saved our lives potentially,” Nguyen explained.
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The pair was successfully taken off the mountain by 10 p.m. The two teens are now safely back in Massachusetts and are incredibly grateful to their rescuers.
