We’d like to honor the crew of the steel-hulled trawler known as Irene and Hilda. The vessel went out on October 25th in 1980 and was headed towards Georges Bank when twenty foot waves and sixty knot winds were encountered. Captain Rebello judged the conditions were too treacherous and decided to trek back home. At that time, John Rebello called his mother and informed her that the vessel would be arriving in New Bedford early Sunday morning. When the Irene and Hilda never returned though, Mrs. Rebello alerted the Coast Guard and a search began. For the three day investigation, the only evidence that could be found were barrels floating in the water on Monday and a life preserver on Wednesday. It appeared that the vessel would be lost to time, that is until August of 1982 when divers who were searching for a different wreck discovered her. Due to the meticulousness of the procedure, the extraction of the remains couldn’t have begun until October that same year. Sadly only John Rebello’s remains were found but shortly afterwards a cenotaph was constructed in the entire crew’s memory. Though no grave or service could ever replace those courageous individuals, we still continue to honor their legacy and never forget the sacrifices they made.
Irene and Hilda
