A tragic incident took place off the Nahant coast where one fisherman lost his life and another was hospitalized following a severe accident on the fishing boat "25 TO LIFE." According to NBC Boston, the U.S. Coast Guard received a distress call at 3:55 p.m. reporting that two crew members had been struck by a snapped rope, resulting in one contusion and suspected broken ribs, and the other showing intermittent responsiveness with a suspected broken neck.
The injured fishermen were transported to Beverly Hospital with life-threatening injuries, and sadly, one succumbed to his injuries, Jaxson Marston, a 26-year-old father with a child and another on the way was the individual whose life was cut short he was remembered by Tessa Browne, owner of Cape Ann Lobstermen, as an "awesome person, super hard worker great father, he loved his kids," as she described in a statement to NBC Boston, also noting the inherent dangers of the fishing industry that often go unconsidered by those enjoying its bounties.
In the response effort, the Coast Guard deployed helicopter CG6023 from Air Station Cape Cod and launched small boats from Stations Gloucester and Point Allerton, managing to transfer the injured members to the shore by 5:08 p.m., according to details provided by Fall River Reporter. The efforts displayed a swift response in hopes of saving the crew, but despite immediate medical treatment, Marston did not survive.
Representative Tiffany Strout of Maine extended condolences to Marston's family, highlighting the impact of the tragedy on the local fishing community "Jaxson, only 26 years old, a husband, a dad, hard worker, passionate hunter and a friend to many was doing what he had done many times before, just trying to earn an honest living to support his family," she told the Fall River Reporter, her words underscoring the suddenness of loss that can befall those in such a perilous profession and her remarks were imbued with a sense of the communal grief shared by many.
In the aftermath of the incident, support efforts spearheaded by the local fishing community were underway, with donations of scallops being gathered to aid the surviving family Browne is working with fishermen to donate bags of scallops to support his partner and two children up in Maine, according to the NBC Boston interview - a show of solidarity in the face of an all too familiar danger for those who make their living on the sea.
