Mass. Sheriff's Officers Save Man Who Fell Overboard into Rough Waters

Aug. 23, 2022
Fog and heavy rain were some of the challenges officers aboard Barnstable County Sheriff's Office's patrol boat faced as they rescued a boater who fell into the water near the coast of Martha's Vineyard.

Police rescued a man who fell off his boat near the coast of Martha’s Vineyard late Monday morning. The man reportedly battled rough waves, heavy rain and a dense layer of fog for an hour before a sheriff patrol boat came to save him.

At 11:50 a.m. on Monday morning, the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office received a distress call of a man who fell overboard east of Chappaquiddick Island at the end of Martha’s Vineyard, according to officials.

Officers on a Barnstable Sheriff’s Office patrol boat were strolling along the waters off Vineyard Haven at the time. After they heard the distress call, they immediately went into search and recovery mode. The Barnstable Sheriff’s Department said officers established contact with the US Coast Guard and sped toward Chappaquiddick Island where the man overboard call originated from.

Once officers arrived at the scene, they calculated the current and plotted the drift to give them a better idea of an approximate location. The sailor was found nearly an hour after the distress call was released, 1.6 nautical miles SSW of where he fell. Officers proceeded to pull the sailor out of the water and onto safety.

________

©2022 Advance Local Media LLC.

Visit masslive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Sponsored Recommendations

Build Your Real-Time Crime Center

March 19, 2024
A checklist for success

Whitepaper: A New Paradigm in Digital Investigations

July 28, 2023
Modernize your agency’s approach to get ahead of the digital evidence challenge

A New Paradigm in Digital Investigations

June 6, 2023
Modernize your agency’s approach to get ahead of the digital evidence challenge.

Listen to Real-Time Emergency 911 Calls in the Field

Feb. 8, 2023
Discover advanced technology that allows officers in the field to listen to emergency calls from their vehicles in real time and immediately identify the precise location of the...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of Officer, create an account today!