Woman seriously injured when wake of speedboat swamps fishing boat

BOSTON — State environmental police are trying to find two large-speedboats seen racing off the coast of woods-hole.

Both boats were traveling at a high rate of speed when they passed a smaller fishing boat causing the boat to nearly capsize.

A 23-year-old woman named Sarah was on that boat with her friends, but after those speedboats passed she found herself in the water with serious injuries.

“It was definitely excruciating, but at first I think my body I tried not to move and then I realized I had to get in a more comfortable position because my back felt like it was going to crumble underneath me as gruesome as that sounds,” Sarah said.

Sarah was on her way to Martha’s Vineyard for a trip with her roommate Lauren Mazzola.

“My dad offered to take us out on the boat. One of my friends had never been to the vineyard before so we were really excited,” Mazzola said.

Mazzola’s father was at the wheel of the 18-foot fishing boat when the two speedboats came dangerously close.

“We didn’t have time to collect ourselves before we were rocked around left and right very close to capsizing,” Sarah said.

Sarah was sitting at the bow of the boat facing the center console when the wake hit and popped her into the air.

“I knew right away that something was really wrong and I knew that it was my back,” she said.

The family returned to Vineyard Haven and Sarah was taken by helicopter to Mass General Hospital in Boston with a severe spinal injury.

Mazzola said the boat operators appeared to be racing and likely are unaware of what happened after passing the fishing boat.

“I think people need to be smarter and more empathic to boaters,” she said.

The Massachusetts Environmental Police are investigating a boating incident that resulted in one person being hospitalized for injuries sustained as the result of the operation of two vessels passing the inflicted vessel. The incident occurred in the area of Woods Hole in Falmouth on Sunday, July 24, 2016, at about 12:00 p.m. The vessels in question are described as two large speed boats, one being red and white in color and the second is blue and white in color. The speed boats were reported to be traveling at high rates of speed as they passed the involved smaller boat within very close proximity.

The reported speed boats are vessels of interest at this time.  If anyone in the public witnessed this incident, has information regarding the possible whereabouts or identity of the two described speed boats and their operators’, they are urged to call the Massachusetts Environmental Police at 1 (800) 632-8075.

Cox Media Group