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Update: 3 rescued from water in Gloucester all children; 5-year-old girl still in critical condition
A 14-year-old girl remained in serious condition Wednesday morning, while an 8-year-old boy had been released to his parents.
Three children were pulled from the Annisquam River in Gloucester on Tuesday by a private boater, officials said.
The Gloucester police and fire departments, Gloucester Harbormaster, and the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the scene at the Annisquam Yacht Club at around 7 p.m., according to a statement from the Gloucester Fire Department. A private boater had pulled the children — a 5-year-old girl, 8-year-old boy, and 14-year-old girl — from the water, and a nurse on the boat performed CPR on one of the children while they were being taken to shore at the yacht club.
An initial investigation suggests that the children were swimming at Wingaersheek Beach, wandered off of a sandbar, and got swept away by the river current, according to the statement.
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The three children were treated on scene, with the girls then transported to Addison Gilbert Hospital. The girls were later taken to Boston Children’s Hospital, where the 5-year-old was in critical condition and the 14-year-old in serious condition as of Wednesday morning. The 8-year-old boy had been released to his parents — all three children and their family are from Lowell, officials said.
“The pilot and occupants of the private vessels that intervened in this incident undoubtedly saved the lives of these children,” Fire Chief Eric Smith said in the statement. “I want to thank those individuals for their care and attention, which made a real difference.
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“I also want to remind all residents and visitors to be cautious when using Gloucester beaches. Tidal currents can be extremely strong, and they are capable of pulling any swimmer into deeper water.”
The statement identified the private boat’s pilot as Christian Dagley and the nurse on the boat as Keri Ann Perry, both of Gloucester. Christine and John Maney, also of Gloucester, helped bring two of the children to shore in their boat, officials said.
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