In cramped crew quarters in the forepeak, the deckhand, Brian Murphy, was warm but not breathing in a black tee and jeans.
A marine welder and father of four, Murphy, 40, had been mostly unemployed for months, spending time caring for his children while his wife worked nights.
A few days earlier, while he was on a brief welding gig to repair the Jersey Pride at its dock, the captain groused about being short-handed.
Now it was July 20, 2021, the third day of the first commercial fishing trip of his life.
Another somber sequence in the opioid epidemic was nearing its end.
Persons:
he’s, ”, “, Brian Murphy, Murphy, groused
Organizations:
Coast Guard
Locations:
Jersey