It’s no secret New Bedford is the number one commercial fishing port in the world and it’s only thanks to our numerous fishing vessels that we’ve earned such a title. Unfortunately not every vessel returns to our harbor though and we owe our gratitude and respect to those such as the Lady of Grace. It was on January 26th. 2007 that the Lady of Grace was making a ground fishing trip to Cultivator Shoal on the George Bank when due to icy winds she began an early trek home. In the late evening, the captain reported the vessel was icing up which eventually led to the Lady of Grace’s last communicated position. On the morning of January 27th, 2007, the Sector Southeastern New England Command Center initiated a Search and Rescue case which led to the discovery of some leaked oil where the Lady of Grace was last reported. The following day, divers located the vessel at the bottom of the Nantucket Sound and by the end of February of 2007 rescue teams recovered the remains of Antonio Barroqueiro and Mario T. Farinhas. Unfortunately the other two crew members, Joao Silva and Rogerio Ventura were never found and presumed deceased. In the following month of April, the Lady of Grace was raised from her watery grave and inspected to ascertain what caused her sinking. Upon investigation, it was assumed due to the overwhelming accumulation of ice that there was a significant decrease in stability and resulted in it’s sinking. Though the Lady of Grace was a terrible tragedy, it also serves as a crucial reminder just what hardships our fishing vessels endure and those that man them.
