The TV star fisherman and his crew who went missing off the coast of Massachusetts after their boat sank in the midst of dangerous winter weather plaguing the East Coast, have been presumed dead.

The search for Capt. Gus Sanfilippo, his crew and a fishery observer from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was called off Saturday, officials said. 

Sanfilippo —- a fifth generation commercial fisherman out of Gloucester, Massachusetts — was featured alongside his crew on the Lily Jean in a 2012 episode of the History Channel show ‘Nor’Easter Men.’

The show documented Sanfilippo and his crew working in dangerous conditions for hours on end, spending as many as 10 days at sea on one fishing trip.

The group, which according to the Daily Mail is now considered lost, was on board the 72-foot boat early Friday when the Coast Guard received a radio beacon alert.

The beacon alert — which is a distress device that transmits a signal via satellites to rescuers when a vessel is in danger — was registered to Sanfilippo’s boat, the Lily Jean.

The Coast Guard issued an emergency alert after not being able to make contact with the crew, and sent a helicopter and boat crew to the location, according to the agency.

Rescuers found one person dead, floating in the water amongst debris and an empty lifeboat when they arrived at the location.

The rest of the crew has not been publicly identified. The Coast Guard did not immediately return a request for comment. 

Coast Guard Commander Timothy Jones, who led the initial search effort, noted that sea spray was freezing on vessels in the area and caused a serious danger to both the missing fishing crew and rescuers.

Search and rescue crews covered around 1,000 square miles of the ocean trying to locate the missing six crew members — using multiple aircraft, cutters and small boats in the 24 hours since the boat fatefully sank, The Associated Press reported.

After consultation between search and rescue mission coordinators and on-scene commanders, the Coast Guard determined on Saturday that all reasonable search efforts for the missing crew members had been exhausted.

Jamie Frederick, the Coast Guard’s Sector Commander, said that the chilling temps, winter conditions and the vast nature of the ocean makes finding survivors at night a difficult task — and even more so with the incoming nor’easter set to hit the East Coast this weekend.

“That is the equivalent of searching for a coconut in the ocean,” Frederick said.

The National Weather Service said that winds at sea were around 27 mph, with waves reaching around four feet high at the time the emergency alert was issued yesterday.

The temperature at sea where the boat sank was 12 degrees — with a water temperature of about 39 degrees.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said on Friday it was aware that one of their fishery observers — who collected data on board of fishing boats for the government to use to inform regulations — was on board at the time it sank.

Commercial fishing is often cited as one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, especially in New England — with winter bringing even more danger from high waves, chilling temps and unpredictable weather patterns.

Vito Giacalone, head of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund, warned that deep-sea fishing can be a hazardous and tough living to begin with and that “it’s as safe as the elements and all of the things allow it to be.”

“Gus was a very seasoned experienced fisherman,” Giacalone said, knowing Sanfilippo as a hard worker from a fishing family from his early captain’s days.

Giacalone said that he and the longstanding fishing industry in Gloucester are distraught by the news.

“He did well for himself. I was proud of him,” Giacalone said.

“And now the dock we own, he ties his boat at the dock so we see him every day. He’s been to all my kids’´weddings. That’s how close we were. I feel a sense of loss. A lot of us do.”

Republican State Senator Bruce Tarr — a good friend of Sanfilippo’s — confirmed that seven people were onboard of the boat and was emotional speaking of his missing friend.

“He’s a person that has a big smile, and he gives you a warm embrace when he sees you,’ Tarr said. ‘He is very, very skilled at what he does,” Tarr emotionally said, noting that ‘the fact the vessel now rests at the bottom of the ocean is very hard to understand’ given Sanfilippo’s experience.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healy said she was “heartbroken” to hear about the boat’s sinking in a statement.

“I am praying for the crew, and my heart goes out to their loved ones and all Gloucester fishing families during this awful time,” she said.

Everett Sawyer, 55, a close childhood friend of Sanfillippo,said he has known 25 people who have been lost at sea — and noted that dangerous winter conditions can present severe challenges for even the most experienced sailors. 

“Things happen very quickly when you’re out in the ocean,” Sawyer said.  

With Post wires

A commercial fishing vessel, carrying a crew of seven, is presumed to have sunk off the Massachusetts coast, prompting an intensive, round-the-clock search by the U.S. Coast Guard. Rescuers are battling howling winds and frigid temperatures in their efforts to locate survivors.

The 72-foot Lily Jean issued an alert early on Friday morning, approximately 25 miles off the port of Gloucester. Following the distress signal, Coast Guard teams quickly located a debris field near the alert, alongside the grim discovery of a body in the water.

Coast Guard Commander Timothy Jones, who is coordinating the ongoing search and rescue operation, affirmed their commitment. He stated: “We will continue to search throughout the night with the cutter, hoping to find additional folks as we continue.” Commander Jones indicated that the vessel was “coming back in full of fish” and may have encountered issues with its fishing gear, necessitating a return for repairs.

Despite the severe conditions, Commander Jones maintained that they are “always hoping to find” survivors from the vessel. However, Sector Boston Commander Jamie Frederick offered a more sobering assessment, acknowledging the “challenging” problems inherent in searching for individuals in the open water after a vessel has gone down.

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“That is the equivalent of searching for a coconut in the ocean,” Frederick said.

Captain, crew were featured on TV show

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, Massachusetts, 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.

Gloucester is often described as America’s oldest working seaport, with a fishing industry that goes back more than 400 years.

The city, where the reality television show “Wicked Tuna” about Atlantic bluefin tuna fishermen was based, has been the site of maritime tragedy over the years. Among them was the FV Andrea Gail, which went missing at sea in 1991. The loss of the Andrea Gail was the basis of the 1997 book and 2000 movie “The Perfect Storm.” In another tragedy, four fishermen died when the Emmy Rose sank in 2020 off Provincetown, Massachusetts. on its way to Gloucester.

Republican State Sen. Bruce Tarr, who confirmed seven people were on the vessel, grew emotional as he talked about Sanfilippo, who was a good friend.

“He’s a person that has a big smile, and he gives you a warm embrace when he sees you,” Tarr said. “He is very, very skilled at what he does.”

Tarr said the “fact that vessel now rests at the bottom of the ocean is very hard to understand.” But he expected the community would come together as it always has with such tragedies.

“This is a community that has felt this type of loss in the past,” Tarr said. “I’m going to make a prediction. Tonight, tomorrow and the days that follow, no matter what happens, you’re going to see the strength, strength that has made this the most historic fishing port in the United States.”

Vito Giacalone, head of the Gloucester Fishing Community Preservation Fund, said he knows Sanfilippo from the captain’s early days in commercial fishing and knew him as a hard worker from a fishing family. He said he and the fishing industry in Gloucester, a community where commercial fishing is a longstanding way of life, are distraught.

“He did well for himself. I was proud of him,” Giacalone said. “And now the dock we own, he ties his boat at the dock so we see him every day. He’s been to all my kids’ weddings. That’s how close we were. I feel a sense of loss. A lot of us do.”

Commercial fishing is a hazardous profession

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.

“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 said. “Gus was a very seasoned experienced fisherman.”

Everett Sawyer, 55, a childhood friend of Sanfilippo, said that he is still processing the news of his disappearance. “He was hardworking. He loved fishing,” he said.

After more than five decades living and working near the Atlantic Ocean, Sawyer 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.

Steve Ouellette, an attorney who works with fishermen in Gloucester, agreed that commercial fishermen have a “tough life and unfortunately these things happen.” “Doesn’t matter how many times you’ve seen it, you’re never ready for it when a boat with a crew goes down,” Ouellette said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Friday it was aware that there was a fishery observer on board the vessel. Fishery observers are workers who collect data on board fishing boats for the government to use to inform regulations.

“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy. NOAA Fisheries is committed to the safety and well-being of observers. As part of this ongoing commitment, we are providing assistance and support,” NOAA spokesperson Sean McNally said

The Coast Guard said it tried unsuccessfully to contact the vessel early Friday and then launched a search that included an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew, a small boat crew and the Coast Guard Cutter Thunder Bay. It expected to have the cutter out all night and a fixed-wing airplane in the morning searching for survivors, Jones 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 four feet high. It was 12 degrees (-11 Celsius) with water temperatures about 39 degrees (4 degrees Celsius.)

Gloucester Council President Tony Gross, a retired fisherman who had joined other elected officials at the harbor in the city after learning of the missing boat, called it a “huge tragedy for this community.”

“The families are just devastated at this point,” Gross said. “They are half full of hope and half full of dread, I would imagine.”

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said she was “heartbroken” to hear 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,” she said in a statement. “Fishermen and fishing vessels are core to the history, economy and culture of Gloucester and Cape Ann, and this tragedy is felt all across the state.”

Gross described conditions on the water as “fishable” but that it wouldn’t take much for ice to build up on the vessel. “That is what people are thinking right now, that there was ice buildup and that made the boat unstable,” he said.

The U.S. Coast Guard is frantically searching Massachusetts waters for survivors after a commercial fishing boat with seven people on board, including a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) observer, sank Friday 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann.

Coast Guard watchstanders received an emergency position indicating a radio beacon (EPIRB) alert at about 6:50 a.m. registered to the 72-foot commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean.

USCG crews attempted to contact the boat, and after getting no response, issued an urgent marine information broadcast (UMIB), according to officials.

USCG Northeast District launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod and a small boat crew from Station Gloucester to search the area.

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The Coast Guard cutter Thunder Bay was also diverted to assist the search. 

Rescue crews found debris near the location where the EPIRB was activated, along with a body and an unoccupied life raft.

The Coast Guard said crews will continue with the search and rescue response.

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Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said the state has offered its full support.

“I’m heartbroken over the devastating news out of Gloucester about the sinking of the Lily Jean and have offered our full support to Mayor Lundberg, Harbormaster Lucido and the Coast Guard,” Healey wrote in a statement. “I am praying for the crew, and my heart goes out to their loved ones and all Gloucester fishing families during this awful time.

“Fishermen and fishing vessels are core to the history, economy and culture of Gloucester and Cape Ann, and this tragedy is felt all across the state.”

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The boat’s captain, Gus Sanfilippo, and his crew were featured in a 2012 episode of the History Channel show “Nor’Easter Men,” highlighting a fishing expedition in dangerous weather conditions, according to a report from The Associated Press. 

Sanfilippo, a fifth-generation commercial fisherman, angled for haddock, lobster and flounder, according to the report.

State Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, told the outlet he was friends with the missing captain.

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“He’s a person that has a big smile, and he gives you a warm embrace when he sees you,” Tarr told the AP. “He is very, very skilled at what he does. … I’m going to make a prediction. Tonight, tomorrow and the days that follow, you’re going to see strength. The strength that has made this the most historic fishing port in the United States of America.”

Gloucester, Massachusetts, is a coastal city about 30 miles north of Boston, on Cape Ann.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.