Fishing boat Lily Jean missing off Gloucester; body found during Coast Guard search

The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for the missing vessel and crew off the Massachusetts coast.

Jan. 30, 2026 at 1:31pm

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The U.S. Coast Guard is searching for the missing 72-foot fishing vessel Lily Jean off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts. The boat's emergency beacon was activated on Friday morning about 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann. During the search, one unresponsive body was recovered from the water, and an empty life raft from the boat was also found. The search is ongoing as the Coast Guard works to determine what happened to the vessel and its crew.

Why it matters

Fishing vessel disappearances and accidents are a tragic reality for the industry, with crews facing dangerous conditions at sea. This incident highlights the risks fishermen take to make a living and the importance of robust search and rescue operations when emergencies occur off the Massachusetts coast.

The details

According to the Coast Guard, the 72-foot fishing vessel Lily Jean activated its emergency beacon on Friday morning about 25 miles off the coast of Cape Ann near Gloucester, Massachusetts. During the subsequent search, one unresponsive body was recovered from the water, and an empty life raft from the boat was also found. The search is ongoing as the Coast Guard works to determine what happened to the vessel and its crew.

  • The Lily Jean's emergency beacon was activated on Friday morning, January 30, 2026.

The players

U.S. Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement branch of the United States Armed Forces.

Lily Jean

A 72-foot fishing vessel that went missing off the coast of Gloucester, Massachusetts on January 30, 2026.

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What’s next

The Coast Guard will continue searching the area for any additional survivors or evidence that could help determine what happened to the Lily Jean and its crew.

The takeaway

This tragic incident serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers that commercial fishermen face in their line of work, and the importance of robust search and rescue capabilities to respond when emergencies occur at sea.