NAHANT — The Police Department conducted a boat rescue on Monday after the vessel lost power near Lynn Harbor and was drifting toward a series of rocks.
Using the Emergency Management Department’s drone, Police Sgt. Andrew Constantine managed to hover it over the boat until State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard were able to assist the occupants.
Police Chief Timothy Furlong said the boat lost power, and the occupants appeared to use seat cushions to paddle their way to shore while the boat drifted toward rocks. He said the three occupants did not require any medical attention after they were rescued.
He added that the Fire Department and Harbormaster boats are on a dry dock for the winter. He said the Police Department had no other option than to reach out to the U.S. Coast Guard and State Police.
“We received a phone call from a resident at Bass Point Apartments. She alerted us that a boat appeared to be in distress in the channel coming into Lynn Harbor. We sent officers over there, along with the drone… It was starting to get dark and really cold,” Furlong said. “Sgt. Andrew Constantine was able to hover the drone directly over the boat that appeared to have no power; they were flashing what appeared to be a flashlight in an SOS pattern.”
He noted there were three occupants aboard the vessel. He added that, in collaboration with the State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard, they were able to get two responding rescue boats to the location.
Furlong said the collaboration ended with State Police towing the stranded vessel to the Department of Conservation and Recreation boat ramp.
“We were able to find the vessel with the drone hovering about 50 feet just above it. It was a very bad situation that turned into a good rescue,” he said. “The drone that Emergency Management purchased several years ago definitely assisted this rescue… Those three individuals were in for a long night, if not worse.”
