NAHANT — More than 60 thrill-seekers were removed from Nahant Wharf for illegal jumping earlier this week, Nahant Police reported.
In particular, media logs from Sunday and Monday show officers were dispatched to the docks six times in the span of 24 hours to remove jumpers — described as mainly young people in their teens and twenties — who continue to congregate at the popular spot in droves.
“It’s a battle we deal with every summer,” said Police Chief Robert Dwyer. “It’s a working wharf. We have fishermen coming in and out of it constantly with their boats, and obviously our concern is people getting injured. We’re trying to prevent an injury.”
Although a common issue for the small oceanside town, the problem has become especially pervasive in recent weeks, with officers estimating they’ve been forced to remove up to 40 jumpers at a time on more than one occasion.
“It’s kind of out of control right now,” Dwyer said. “Normally we don’t have that many kids jumping off the wharf.”
He attributed the increase in numbers to recent hot weather — this week’s heat wave saw temperatures reach almost 100 degrees — as well as the after-effect of young people spending months inside due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Officer Matthew Morneau, who responded to many of this weekend’s calls, agreed.
“We really haven’t had an issue like this in the past,” he said. “I think a lot of it (is tied) to the influx of beach traffic we’ve seen this year. A lot of beaches still remain closed, and vacations have been canceled. People are doing staycations, and there hasn’t been much reprieve from the heat in the last couple of weeks, so I think everybody’s looking for a way to stay cool.”
Morneau added the department has implemented some new tactics to dissuade young people from jumping, including stationing an officer at the wharf at particularly busy times to keep watch.
He emphasized that the department’s main concern is simply to make sure residents and visitors stay safe while enjoying their time in the water.
“We understand it’s hot and that the beaches are becoming overcrowded, but it is a working wharf,” he said. “The boats are coming in and they don’t have a braking system like a vehicle, so they can’t come to a complete stop.
“There have been a few close calls, and that’s quite a technical rescue should a medical event or an injury happen. We’re just doing this for the safety of all.”
