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Nicolo Vitale, a fisherman from Gloucester, Mass., died on Monday, April 20, after falling overboard from the dragger Miss Sandy.

The incident occurred as the boat was returning to port Monday afternoon. Vince Taormina, the Miss Sandy's captain, made a distress call, reportedly about a mile outside the breakwater.

"He said he turned around and his crew member wasn't there," Roberts said, according to the Gloucester Times. "He said he didn't even know how long he was missing. He said it could have been up to two miles."

Two Gloucester fishing boats joined the search, including the Angela + Rose, which is owned and captained by Paul Vitale, Nicolo Vitale's cousin. The crew of the Santo Pio recovered Vitale from the water.

Roberts reported that a Coast Guard 29-footer was nearby, rushed over and pulled Vitale aboard. They attempted to resuscitate him on the trip back to Station Gloucester, where a first responder rescue squad took over and transported him to Addison Gilbert Hospital.

Shortly before 5 p.m., family members were notified that Vitale had died.

[This story has been updated to correct the gear type.]

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Jessica Hathaway is the former editor in chief of National Fisherman.

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