On Monday afternoon, the Coast Guard conducted a rescue of a man stranded in rough waters near Cape Cod amid a nor’easter impacting the region.
Ferry passengers aboard a Steamship Authority vessel were alarmed when they noticed an individual struggling in the choppy waters close to Juniper Point-Woods Hole, with dense fog enveloping the area.
The crew of the ferry alerted the authorities at approximately 3:30 p.m., and while waiting for the Coast Guard, other passengers endeavored to help by tossing life rings into the water.
“Suddenly, one person shouted, ‘Man overboard,’ and it was quite dramatic as everyone on the ferry instantly reacted,” Roy Mundy, a ferry passenger, shared with CBS News.
“It was really startling. I saw a father out there trying to locate him while his son stood by the door crying, begging his dad to return because he was scared of falling over. The whole situation was incredibly intense,” Mundy elaborated.
The ferry had not yet left the dock at Juniper Point-Woods Hole in Falmouth, Massachusetts, when the passengers spotted the man. The vessel was scheduled to depart at 3:45 p.m. for Martha’s Vineyard, based on The Steamship Authority’s fall schedule.
A Coast Guard team reached the location and located the man from their helicopter near Nobska Point around 4:25 p.m., which was a full hour after the crew had reported the emergency, as reported by the outlet.
During the ordeal, the man contended with torrential rain, strong currents, and towering waves. Fortunately, high tide had recently begun to recede after peaking earlier in the day.
A Coast Guard rescue swimmer was deployed, successfully retrieving the fatigued man and hoisting him into the helicopter.
He was subsequently transported to Joint Base Cape Cod and then to Falmouth Hospital for treatment related to his exposure to the severe conditions, but fortunately, he did not sustain serious injuries, according to the reports.
It remains unclear how the man ended up in the water initially, prompting an investigation by Falmouth police into the incident.
The nor’easter generated waves up to 10 feet along some coastlines, accompanied by powerful winds that brought down trees.
In New York, a tragic incident occurred where a 76-year-old woman in Brooklyn was killed by a solar panel that was blown off a nearby roof.
Fortunately, New York and New Jersey experienced milder conditions, recording only about 1 to 2 inches of rainfall in most areas.
Conversely, southern states faced severe weather, with South and North Carolina receiving 10 and 4 inches of rain, respectively.
