Coast Guard searches for Gloucester fishing vessel Lily Jean after EPIRB alert off Cape Ann

Search triggered by emergency beacon in early-morning hours

A U.S. Coast Guard search-and-rescue operation was underway Friday morning after an emergency position-indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) registered to a Gloucester-based commercial fishing vessel activated offshore of Cape Ann.

The alert was received at about 6:50 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 30, 2026, from the 72-foot fishing vessel Lily Jean. Coast Guard personnel attempted to contact the vessel directly but did not receive a response. The number of people aboard was not confirmed during the initial phase of the response.

Aircraft, small boats, and a cutter deployed to the search area

In response, the Coast Guard launched an MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Air Station Cape Cod and dispatched a small boat crew from Station Gloucester. The Coast Guard cutter Thunder Bay was diverted to assist search efforts offshore.

During the operation, responders located a debris field in the vicinity of the beacon activation. One unresponsive person was recovered from the water. A life raft associated with the vessel was also located, but it was unoccupied.

Conditions at sea and key questions investigators will examine

With the vessel not in communication and a debris field located, the incident immediately shifted from a routine alert response to a complex offshore search. EPIRB activations can occur in multiple scenarios, including a vessel sinking rapidly, a beacon triggering after immersion in water, or equipment being damaged and transmitting unintentionally. In this case, the discovery of debris and an empty life raft indicated a serious marine casualty requiring continued search activity.

As the response continues, key operational and investigative questions typically include:

• Whether the vessel encountered flooding, loss of stability, icing, or mechanical failure
• Whether the crew had time to transmit a mayday or deploy survival equipment
• How many people were aboard and whether any entered the water or life raft
• The drift pattern of debris and survival craft relative to prevailing winds and currents

Gloucester community impact and ongoing updates

Commercial fishing remains a major part of Gloucester’s waterfront economy, and offshore emergencies can reverberate quickly through families, crews, and shore-side businesses. City officials described the situation as a developing tragedy as search teams worked to determine what happened and whether anyone else could be located.

The Coast Guard said search efforts were ongoing and that additional information would be released as details become available.

Friday’s operation followed other recent winter-season responses in Massachusetts waters, underscoring the time-sensitive nature of rescues in cold air and water temperatures, where survival windows can narrow rapidly.