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5 sent to hospital after ‘challenging’ rescue of teens from capsized boat off Cape Cod
The rescue off Falmouth on Saturday night was made difficult by beach access and conditions in the water, officials said.
Five people were sent to the hospital on Saturday night after a “challenging” rescue of two teens whose sailboat capsized off the coast of Falmouth.
The Falmouth Fire Department responded to the area of Black Beach around 5 p.m. for a report of a capsized sailboat and two people in the water; the town’s harbormaster and the U.S. Coast Guard were also notified, according to the fire department.
At the scene, the first responders found the 14 foot sailboat had overturned in high surf and wind conditions, dumping its two teenage sailors into the water. A family member was also in the water, attempting to assist the teens from the beach. All three were wearing flotation devices.
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The family member was pulled from the water by rescuers first.
“Launch of the inflatable boat from the beach was attempted as crews worked through limited access to the beach and breaking waves,” the fire department said. “Surf conditions also made locating the victims challenging.”
A Coast Guard boat responded to the scene and a drone from the Barnstable County Sheriff’s office was used to search for the teens.
The fire department said “shortly thereafter,” the teens were able to make it to the shoals south of the capsized boat and were helped onto the beach by first responders.
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The two teens were taken to a local hospital for treatment of hypothermia. Two members of the fire department were also taken to the hospital for treatment of minor injuries they sustained while operating in the surf. A Falmouth police officer was also taken to the emergency room for evaluation, according to officials.
The capsized boat was towed into deeper water, and the rescue operation concluded around 9 p.m., according to the department.
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