On August 19, 2024, a Boston man and his child escaped death by the whiskers. The duo were just about to drown in the Charles River when they were miraculously rescued by two Boston duck boat captains.
It was nothing short of a marvelous, most fortunate rescue. At least, the baby, who was less than two years old, would have died if their rescuers had arrived a few minutes later. Let’s find out how the father and child landed in the river and what brought their rescuers to the scene of the rescue.
The Boston Duck Boat Captains Were Conducting Scheduled Safety Drills at the Time
On the fateful day, the Boston duck boat captains, Michael Rosario and Kevin O’Neill, were performing a quarterly safety drill when they spotted the pair. Rosario and O’Neill were on a Boston Duck Tours boat when they ran into the father and son duo.
The captains use the boat to take tourists on water and land. But on this particular day, the pair were undergoing training.
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Two Boston Duck Boat Captains Prevent a Tragedy
According to the Massachusetts State Police, the child, who was beyond his father’s reach, had squeezed through the railing. Afterward, the baby landed in the water behind the Royal Sonesota, a Cambridge riverfront hotel. After noticing what had transpired, the father jumped in to rescue his child.
After grabbing the toddler, the father had a hard time getting them both back on land. In photos taken in the water, the father is seen holding desperately to a rock face with one arm and tightly holding his son with the other.
“This is crazy. This is happening while we’re doing training. Now we’re doing real-life rescue,” Rosario told journalists. Rosario and O’Neill threw out a safety ring for father and son. Afterward, the captains maneuvered close to them before letting down a ladder for them to climb onto the boat.
As soon as they were on board, the captains headed for the Cambridge dock. At the captain’s request, first responders were already on the ground at the dock to attend to the rescued father and child.
The news of the rescue brought joy to many faces, especially the top guns at the Boston Duck Tours. The director of the tour company, Tom Vigna, expressed delight at the successful rescue. “We were happy to be in the right place at the right time,” he remarked.
The Boston Duck Boat Captains Say the Father Was Panicking
According to Rosario, the father was visibly shaken when they arrived. He was probably terrified of the possibility of losing his child. He was in such a panic,” Rosario recalled. “He just wanted to get his child on board. Kevin grabbed the baby and got the Mylar blanket for the child, and Dad proceeded to get on.
The Father-Son Duo Came Out Unharmed
While the father came out without any serious health concerns, the child had to receive a medical examination on Monday morning, according to the Cambridge Fire Department. The Charles River is an 80-mile-long river that flows from Hopkinton, southern Middlesex, Massachusetts, to Boston Harbor.
It is the longest river completely within the state and is a popular recreational spot for Boston residents and visitors from outside the state. Besides the river, a prominent feature of the area is Charlesbank Park, which provides various fun activities for visitors.
There are footpaths, ponds, and playgrounds that will especially delight the kids. The park also has a music shell that hosts many summer concerts throughout the year. Many visitors also canoe at the park.
There are numerous beautiful sites around to feed the eyes of tourists. Companies such as Boston Duck Tours have taken advantage of the amazing scenery to give visitors a tour of the location.
Whether on the land or the river, you are likely to see a number of these tour company boats and vehicles taking groups of tourists around Boston and showing them the various landmarks and unique neighborhoods. Of course, a tour of Boston isn’t complete without seeing the Charles River.
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Safety Drills for Boat Captains
Safety is a big deal in the maritime sector, and safety drills are a good way to protect lives in the waters. Safety drills are helpful in many ways. First, they help the captains and crew clearly define their roles and responsibilities.
In emergencies, each crew member already knows where their skills are best required to ensure maximum safety. For example, the crew member with the least physical capability is responsible for steering the boat. This allows stronger hands to carry out the physically tasking rescue operations.
Safety drills help to point out inadequacies for a timely fix. For example, they help the crew determine if useful tools and equipment are in accessible locations. The crew is also likely to identify tools and equipment that are missing from the boat in the event during the drills.
Also, drills help the crew to sharpen their rescue skills because practice makes perfect. The more the practice, the better and faster boat crews can respond to emergencies. It is important to note that the performance of rescue teams and emergency medical teams can impact the victim’s chances of survival at the hospital.
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