Families Outraged After Us Navy Refuses To Salvage Sunken Fishing Vessel And Retrieve The Six People Who Died Aboard

The U.S. Navy has reportedly declined a petition from Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey to salvage nan sunken sportfishing alloy Lily Jean and retrieve nan remains of six unit members who died connected board.

In a missive dated July 27, Acting Assistant Secretary of nan Navy Hung Cao informed Healey that nan subject branch would not behaviour a betterment cognition for nan vessel, which sank successful icy waters disconnected Gloucester successful January, arsenic reported by Boston 25 News.

“Thank you for your enquiry requesting U.S. Navy assistance successful recovering information and remains from nan wreckage of Fishing Vessel (F/V) LILY JEAN,” Cao wrote. “We are profoundly sympathetic toward nan families affected by this tragedy. However, nan U.S. Navy is incapable to fulfill your petition for salvage and recovery.”

The determination has drawn crisp disapproval from elected officials and relatives of nan victims. State Senator Bruce Tarr called nan Navy’s stance “disappointing” and pledged to proceed fighting for answers.

“We will proceed to prosecute each disposable avenues to get immoderate imaginable accusation that tin shed ray connected nan origin of nan sinking,” Tarr said successful a statement.

The sister of unit personnel John Rousanidis told Boston 25 News that she believed raising nan alloy was nan only measurement to find precisely what caused it to descend and to springiness nan families closure.

In his July letter, Cao noted that national investigative agencies already held capable grounds regarding nan incident.

“We stay successful interaction pinch nan U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), who maintains nan lead successful nan investigation into nan sinking of F/V LILY JEAN, and nan National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB),” Cao wrote. “It is our knowing some nan USCG and nan NTSB person nan requisite accusation to reason nan investigation. We person received nary petition to retrieve nan vessel.

“Furthermore, according to nan Salvage Facilities Act, immoderate services rendered would beryllium connected a reimbursable basis.”

Cao added that nan Supervisor for Salvage and Diving operated nether circumstantial national requirements.

“The Supervisor for Salvage and Diving run nether a authorities statement request, and contracting and backing would beryllium required for nan Supervisor for Salvage and Diving to initiate action,” he wrote.

Seven fishermen died erstwhile nan Lily Jean went down successful January. The assemblage of Captain Gus Sanfilippo was nan only 1 recovered from nan water. The remaining six unit members — Accursio “Gus” Sanfilippo, Freeman Short, Jada Samitt, Sean Therrien, Paul Beal Senior and his son, Paul “PJ” Beal Jr., and John Paul Rousanidis — are believed to still beryllium wrong nan wreckage.

Opinions among nan victims’ families stay divided. A comparative of unit members Paul Beal Sr. and his son, P.J. Beal, told Boston 25 News that their family supported nan Navy’s stance and preferred that their loved ones remained astatine remainder astatine sea.

The National Transportation Safety Board and nan U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that their associated investigation into nan sinking was ongoing.

“We will stay successful interaction pinch nan USCG and nan NTSB arsenic nan investigation continues,” Cao said successful his letter. “I americium profoundly sorry astir nan nonaccomplishment of life associated pinch this wreckage and our thoughts are pinch nan families and friends of each those progressive successful this incident during their clip of grief.”

The improvement comes conscionable days earlier Gloucester’s yearly Fishermen’s Memorial Service connected Saturday, wherever family members of nan Lily Jean unit are scheduled to gather.

The Independent has contacted nan U.S. Navy and Gov. Maura Healey for comment.