TAUNTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Three good Samaritans and four police officers scrambled to save a pair of 14-year-old boys who fell through the ice on the Taunton River on Thursday afternoon, officials said.
Kevin Boss, 54, of Taunton, was driving in the area of County and Ingell streets around 2 p.m. when he noticed one boy trying to swim to shore the other struggling to stay afloat in the river, Taunton Police Chief Edward Walsh and Taunton Fire Chief Timothy Bradshaw said in a joint press release.
Boss pulled over, grabbed a rope from his vehicle, and rushed to the banks of the river. Two Taunton school workers, local storekeeper Nick DaCosta, and community facilitator Lynne Farina also stopped to assist with the rescue.
“In the cold temperatures, they wouldn’t last long,” one of the rescuers who lives near the river said.
Four Taunton police officers were called to the scene and helped the good Samaritans with using the rope to pull the boys to safety.
The boys, who were in the water for about five minutes, were taken to Morton Hospital to be evaluated. They are expected to be OK.
“The second kid was exhausted,” DaCosta said. “He could barely get the rope around him and he was really struggling. He didn’t think he could do it any longer.”
Walsh praised the good Samaritans and the officers for their quick response.
“This was a fantastic job by the people who stopped and our officers who helped to get these boys out of the water quickly,” Walsh said. “Thankfully, it appears that the boys are going to be alright.”
Bradshaw echoed Walsh’s sentiments and also warned that it is never safe to step on thin ice.
“Thankfully these boys weren’t seriously hurt and the people who stopped to help should be considered heroes,” Bradshaw said. “Though temperatures have been cold recently, it has not been cold long enough to make it safe to walk, skate or fish on any waterway in Taunton.”
Per policy, the Taunton Fire Department says it does not certify whether any bodies of water are safe to use for recreational purposes.
Those who do go out on the ice are urged to stay away from all areas of open water, flowing water, and ice that looks slushy or thin.
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