Tag Archives: David “Heavy D” Sutherland
Judge restores Orin C deal, lawyer appeals
A federal judge last Friday ordered the parties in the wrongful death lawsuit tied to the 2015 sinking of the Orin C to adhere to a previous settlement agreement, halting the highly contentious case that was set to go to trial next month in Boston. But on Tuesday, Joseph Orlando Jr., attorney for the three plaintiffs, appealed the settlement order and dismissal by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris.,, The order by Saris and Orlando’s subsequent appeal are the most recent twists and turns in the case that has fixated the city’s waterfront amid accusations by Orlando that Gloucester Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and others tampered with his expert witness, Gloucester Harbormaster T.J. Ciarametaro, by trying to pressure him to withdraw from the case or be fired from his harbormaster position. >click to read< 11:23
Vessels fly flags at half-mast for Vitale – In loving memory of Gloucester Fisherman Nicolo Vitale
We didn’t know Nicolo Vitale personally, though we suspect that our paths at least crossed a few dozen times and we probably would have recognized him even if we didn’t know him, even if we’d never howdy’d or shook, as they say in Texas. It’s the nature of a small town. Yes, we’re a city, but we’re really a very small town. Especially along the waterfront. For the second time since December 2015, we had to write about a local commercial fisherman dying while fishing. >click to read<
In loving memory of Gloucester Fisherman Nicolo Vitale – Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, visiting services with his family were held privately. A memorial mass and Celebration of Nicky’s life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Nick’s Fishermen’s Safety Fund through Cape Ann Savings Bank, 109 Main Street, Gloucester, MA 01930 to help provide personal safety devices to fishermen. >click to read< 08:36
As anniversary nears, reports on deadly F/V Orin C sinking unfinished
Saturday will mark the one-year anniversary of the sinking of the Orin C and the death of Gloucester fisherman David “Heavy D” Sutherland, but the final federal reports on the deadly incident still will not be released until January. Representatives of the Coast Guard and the National Transportation Safety Board on Monday confirmed the new timetable for releasing the findings of the separate investigations and restated the government’s intention to release the reports simultaneously. “We were really pushing to have a completed report before the anniversary of the tragedy to help bring some closure up here,” said Lt. Karen Kutiewicz of the Coast Guard’s District 1 Headquarters in Boston. “That was our goal. Unfortunately, it’s not the reality.”The draft of the Coast Guard’s internal casualty investigation was completed earlier this year and forwarded during the summer to Washington, D.C., for review by officials at Coast Guard headquarters. In July, the NTSB said it expected to release the conclusions of its investigation “sometime in the fall.” An NTSB spokesman on Monday said the agency has not yet concluded its investigation and does not expect to have the final report until mid-January. Read the story here 09:01
Down to the sea, as Gloucester remembers its own
With the long line of American flags rippling above the crescent of Stacy Boulevard and the postcard of its harbor serving as the backdrop, Gloucester on Saturday once again wrapped its arms around those who went out to sea and never returned. The number of Gloucester fishermen who have perished harvesting seafood from the cauldron of the North Atlantic Ocean now reaches into the thousands — the most recent loss that of David “Heavy D” Sutherland last December during a rescue attempt after his boat, the Orin C, went down about 12 miles off Thacher Island. On Saturday evening, America’s oldest fishing community gathered to pay homage and remembrance to those who never returned to their hailing port from their last trip, with about 400 fishing friends and family circling the iconic Gloucester Fishermen’s Memorial for the annual Fishermen’s Memorial Service. Read the story here 10:53
Friends and family remember lost fisherman David “Heavy D” Sutherland – ‘No angel, but a miracle’
The tableau could not have been more perfect through the expansive windows lining the back wall of the Tavern on the Harbor, as the Gloucester fishing family collected at midday Thursday to say goodbye to David R. Sutherland. The previous week had been a difficult one, not only for Sutherland’s family and longtime girlfriend Susie Byrd, but for all of those who knew the big man, either from the docks and the waterfront or from the Crow’s Nest, where Byrd tends bar and the couple first met. Sutherland often referred to the renowned Gloucester watering hole as “his office.” If he bought you a drink there, he insisted it come in a substantial glass that was not for the meek. It was known as a “Heavy D” drink. Read the article here 07:37
NTSB: No plans to salvage Fishing Vessel Orin C
The National Transportation Safety Board confirmed today it will lead the investigation into last week’s sinking of the Orin C that cost the life of a Gloucester fisherman, but the agency has no plans to salvage the 51-foot vessel from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Keith Holloway, an NTSB spokesman, said the investigation could take as long as 12 to 18 months to determine the probable cause of the Dec. 3 sinking that took the life of 47-year-old Gloucester fisherman David “Heavy D” Sutherland. “Information will be released as it becomes available,”,, Read the article here 12:05
Calling hour’s, and a Celebration of Life for David “Heavy D” Sutherland in Gloucester
David R. “Heavy D” Sutherland, 47, of Gloucester passed away suddenly when his fishing vessel became distressed in an ocean storm. He was the loving companion to Susie Byrd with whom he shared 8 years of companionship. He was a hard- working, beloved fisherman in the Gloucester Community for many years and was the Captain of the Fishing Vessel Orin C. He began his love for fishing and catching lobster many years ago on the Saugus River. Read the details here, In lieu of flowers donations in David’s memory may be made to the Sutherland Children’s Fund c/o TD Bank 2 Harbor Loop Gloucester, MA 01930. 09:32
