Frank Berry

Frank Berry, 30, of 58 Mechanic Street, Camden, Maine, was the son of Herbert Berry, a crew member of the dragger Bright Star, also out of New Bedford. Mr. Berry had served in the Merchant Marine in World War II. He had long been engaged in fishing aboard vessels out of New Bedford. It was reported that Berry had a wife and child, both residing in Wisconsin, and another child living with grandparents in Camden.

The Theresa A., an aircraft rescue boat converted for use as a fishing vessel, left Fairhaven on September 9, 1950, and was last sighted fishing on Georges Bank. On September 12, the ship sent two radio messages: first a distress signal and then a message that the crew was abandoning ship. The weather was extremely bad, with heavy seas and winds of roughly 55 miles per hour. The Coast Guard launched a sea and air search, joined by several merchant vessels. The search continued until September 16, but no trace of the ship or its crew was found.

The only body recovered was that of Ernest Rich, who was found in October floating off Seal Island in Penobscot Bay.