ROCKPORT, MASS. (WHDH) - One man died and another was injured after a large wave caused a 20-foot boat to overturn off the coast of Rockport Sunday afternoon, officials said.
Coast Guard crews responding to reports of a capsized boat near Straitsmouth Island about 1:20 p.m. found two men in their 50s in the water.
Paul Nadeau, 58, of Kingston, New Hampshire, was pulled from the water and airlifted to a local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead, Rockport Police Chief John Horvath said.
The second person, a 59-year-old Rockport man, swam to shore despite serious injuries and was later rescued by the Coast Guard helicopter crew.
The men were fishing near the northeast corner of Straitsmouth Island when a large wave, about 10-feet high, hit the boat, causing it to flip over. Both victims were thrown into the ocean.
“It’s truly an accident,” Harbormaster Rosemary Lesch said. “When Mother Nature steps in and takes charge, there’s no stopping it.”
As of Sunday night, the boat remained stuck on the island.
The incident is under investigation.
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