Jon Nilsen

Jon Nilsen arrived in this country in August 1962 from Norway. He was on his third fishing trip. Mr. Nilsen was survived by three brothers in this area including Karsten and Godfreid Nilsen of Fairhaven. He was also survived by his mother in Norway.

The Midnight Sun left New Bedford on November 10, 1962, and disappeared in a storm on November 14 as she headed home to New Bedford from the fishing grounds. Late Wednesday and Thursday a storm packing  winds of more than 90 miles an hour whipped seas into 50-foot waves as it ripped across Georges Bank. Local fishermen considered the storm to have been one of the worst of the century. Last radio contact was reported between 2 and 3 p.m. on Wednesday.  The Midnight Sun was reported overdue when she failed to return to port along with the other vessels she had been fishing with. The Coast Guard conducted a seven-day, 63,000-square-mile search for the vessel but found no wreckage.