MASHPEE, MASS. (WHDH) – Department of Natural Resources staffers rescued two men whose sailboat capsized in Mashpee on Friday afternoon.
The Mashpee Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was dispatched to the vicinity of Gooseberry Island in Popponesset Bay around 2:30 p.m. following a report of a capsized vessel with two men in the water.
DNR personnel arrived and found two men in their 70s clinging to an overturned sailboat.The individuals had been in the water for an estimated 20 to 25 minutes. They were immediately brought on board and transported to the Ockway Bay boat ramp, where Mashpee Fire Department paramedics conducted medical evaluations for cold water exposure.
Both were wearing life jackets when they were recovered.
In a statement, DNR wrote, “This incident underscores the continued risk cold water poses to mariners, even as air temperatures begin to rise. Surface water temperatures in Popponesset Bay remain in the upper 40s—a range where hypothermia can develop rapidly and impair the ability to self-rescue. Both individuals were wearing life jackets at the time of the incident, which significantly increased their chances of survival and contributed to a successful rescue.”
(Copyright (c) 2024 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
