SCITUATE, Mass. — Three crew members were rescued from the waters off of Humarock Beach when their fishing vessel overturned Tuesday afternoon according to the Scituate Fire Department.
At approximately 2:35 p.m., emergency crews responded to a call from a Marshfield woman walking on the beach who reported a scalloping boat sinking about a mile off shore.
Crews found a sunken 55 foot trawler boat completely submerged under the water with three adult males clinging to the boom.
All three men were pulled from the water and transported to South Shore Hospital. Their condition is unknown at this time and their identities being withheld until next of kin is notified.
“The water was about 42 degrees and these men may have been in the water anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour,” Scituate Fire Chief John Murphy said, “had emergency crews gotten there a few minutes later, it might’ve been a different story.”
Conditions were rough for personnel responding to the scene. In addition to frigid water and four to six foot waves, none of the three men were wearing life jackets.
“Something must’ve happened pretty quickly,” Chief Murphy said, “all we saw [in the water] was this boom floating and a lot of diesel fuel.”
The United State Coast Guard, Scituate Fire Department, Scituate Police Department, Scituate Harbor Master, and the Marshfield Harbormaster all responded to the scene. The cause of the overturned fishing vessel is under investigation.
“We were very fortunate they all stayed with the boat. That’s very key. That’s why they survived,” according to the Scituate Fire Department.
You can watch video of officials holding a news conference on this incident, below:
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This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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