‘They are heroes.’ Fishermen saved from Boston harbor thank officers who reeled them in
Tommy Azeredo, 41, said he was thinking he might never see his family again as he clung to the cooler that evening.
Joseph and Tommy Azeredo were clinging to a green Igloo cooler in the water of Boston Harbor just off Graves Light when they first met Boston police officers Stephen Merrick and Garrett Boyle.
Merrick and Boyle, officers from the Boston Police Harbor Patrol Unit, arrived to pull the two exhausted men from the sea after their 28-foot fishing boat sank around 6:35 p.m. on Thursday. On Sunday, the father and son, who both live in Somerville, had the opportunity to thank the officers as they all reunited at Boston Police Harbor Patrol headquarters in the Seaport. The four men shook hands and embraced on the dock next to the police boat that had carried them to safety that night.
“When I see those guys, it’s like I see God,” said Joseph Azeredo, 76, recalling the officers’ arrival during the rescue. “I never seen in my life better cops than this.”
Finish the story at BostonGlobe.com.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com