Five rescued near Stage Harbor channel Friday, first of two weekend water rescues
CHATHAM — Four adults and one baby were rescued from being swept into the Stage Harbor channel in Chatham on Friday.
At about 2:50 p.m., Assistant Harbormaster Ron Tayson and EMT crew member Brooke Hall were on patrol in the Stage Harbor channel when they saw people in the water, without lifejackets, yelling for help, a press release from the Cape and Islands Harbormasters Association said.
Due to the strong currents and brisk winds, the swimmers were being swept away into the channel when Tayson and Hall rescued them from the water in the Harbormaster Patrol Boat, the release indicates.
They did not require EMS assistance and were brought back to their anchored boat unharmed.
Such rescues don't happen often and they tend to occur more in August and September when boats might not be as well-maintained as earlier in the season. There are fewer people on the beaches or on the water to spot boaters who may need help, Harbormaster Stuart Smith said.
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They did not receive any calls about the rescue, Smith said. It was pure luck that the patrol boat happened to spot them.
"It was particularly precarious on Friday with strong winds and currents," he said, "and for the (patrol) boat to just see the people in the water is unusual, usually we get calls from people on the beach about potential rescues."
Friday's rescue was the second of the weekend. Bourne firefighters rescued a man and a woman from a sinking boat at the end of Wings Neck on Sunday afternoon.
The No. 1 way to stay safe aboard any vessel is to wear a lifejacket. The Stage Harbor boaters had rented their boat, and seemed to have been out of their depth in being able to captain it, Stuart said.
He encourages anyone planning to go out on the water in a vessel in Chatham to do research beforehand, such as connecting with boaters experienced with waters that can be unpredictable.
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When in an emergency, always wear a lifejacket and call the Coat Guard on channel 16 of the boat's radio for help, Stuart said.
"If people come to Chatham, call ahead for advice, we have shifting shoals or fog that can make the waters difficult," he said. "It is vitally important to put on your lifejacket too."
Sarah Carlon can be reached at: scarlon@capecodonline.com or on Twitter: @sarcarlon
This article originally appeared on Cape Cod Times: Five rescued, including a baby, near Stage Harbor channel on Friday
