Overview
- Nahant police and fire crews responded to reports of two boaters in distress off East Point shortly after 1 p.m. on Saturday and said a boat had lost power before a second vessel stopped to assist.
- A large wave struck both boats and knocked two people into the water, one of whom was able to get back aboard while the other was given a life preserver and began swimming toward the rocks before becoming unresponsive.
- Nahant Fire’s rescue boat recovered the unresponsive boater, firefighters began lifesaving measures, and the victim was taken to the Town Wharf and transported to Salem Hospital; officials have not released the person’s condition.
- Units from the Swampscott Fire Department and the Swampscott Harbormaster assisted at the scene, and local agencies say the incident remains under investigation.
- The episode highlights the risks of stopping to aid disabled vessels in rough water and underscores the role of coordinated local marine rescue resources in pulling people from hazardous coastal conditions.