Three fishermen were saved from icy cold waters one mile off the coast of Massachusetts by a woman who spotted them during a work video call, then was smart enough to call 911.
Pam Harght was the first, and only, person to call 911 about the vessel, which she spotted off Humarock Beach. “The witness stated that the boat overturned and quickly sank. This was the only call received by dispatch,” said Scituate Police Department.
The men were found hanging onto fishing gear and a stick of diesel fuel while battling dangerous sea conditions for 45 minutes, after their boat capsized suddenly.
The 55-ft Bing Bing vessel went down so quickly the crew didn’t have time to call the emergency services for help. None of the crew were wearing life jackets or survival suits.
All survivors were taken to a local hospital. The water was a handful of degrees above freezing point, around 5.5 °C (42°F). Fisherman Joe Roderick suffered hypothermia and other complications due to swallowing saltwater and diesel fuel.
“A million things ran through my head,” said Mr Roderick about being in the water. “Am I going to make it home to see my daughters?” he told WCVB-TV.
Ms Harght saw the boat sink while on a work video call at home in Marshfield, luckily it was a clear day with good visibility or she may not have seen the vessel in trouble.
“It was large enough that I could see it was in distress, then I saw a large cloud of black smoke, then I saw the boat disappear,” said Ms Harght.
She texted her mother and husband in the area, to ask if they could see what she was seeing. “Does anyone see this? Am I going crazy?” she messaged.
“If it wasn’t for this woman, I probably wouldn’t be here,” Mr Roderick said.
Officials estimated that the men likely had minutes left in the water before they were rescued. According to a report by Scientific American, a person can survive in 5°C (41°F) water for 10, 15 or 20 minutes before “the muscles get weak, you lose coordination and strength, which happens because the blood moves away from the extremities and toward the centre, or core, of the body.” Those carrying more weight have a better chance of survival, states the report: “Generally, the colder the water, the faster [life-threatening hypothermia] happens.”
Local hero Ms Harght is so over the moon her call helped to save three lives. “It was a great feeling,” she said to reporters. “My brother is in the fishing industry, and I thought, ‘That easily could have been his boat.’”
