The tragic story of lobsterman Jaime Ortiz, who was lost after falling overboard from the boat Dominatrix last week and leaves a wife and five children in his native Honduras, once again cast a pall over Gloucester and its fishing community, which never needs to be reminded of the dangers fishermen face each and every day at sea.
Indeed, while Ortiz had just come to Gloucester just a year earlier, he represented an important grass-roots piece of todayโs fishing industry โ a relatively new immigrant who came to Americaโs oldest seaport to work hard and earn a better living for himself and his family.
But amid the tragedy of his loss and the poignancy of a hastily organized gathering at the Fishermenโs Memorial, it was also heartwarming to see Gloucesterโs fishing community โ notably the Fishermenโs Wives Association โ pull together to honor Ortiz and show his extended family that they are not alone in their time of grief. And hereโs hoping the community at large extends its support to the drive the Fishermenโs Wivesโ Association has launched for Ortizโ family back home.