WEYMOUTH, MASS. (WHDH) - From his bed at South Shore Hospital, a fisherman told 7NEWS he is just happy to be alive after his boat sank off the coast of Scituate Tuesday.
Police say they received a call from a Marshfield resident around 2:30 p.m. who said she saw a fishing boat sinking off of Fourth Cliff. She told officers that the boat was last seen near Central Avenue in Humarock, according to a release issued by the department.
RELATED: 3 found clinging to fishing gear after 55 foot boat sinks off Scituate coast
Police and firefighters rushed to the scene and called the Scituate Harbormaster, Marshfield Harbormaster and US Coast Guard for help.
The 55-foot boat was found sinking about a half mile off Humarock Beach and three people, including 50-year-old Joe Rodrick, were found clinging to some fishing gear. They were pulled to safety and transported to the hospital with severe hypothermia.
Rodrick said he has been fishing since he was 18-years-old and the 55 foot vessel they were on was in great condition. But, as they were hauling up a load of surface clams, the boat began heavily listing to one side.
“The whole boat flipped over and I got thrown in the water and I remember swimming away from the boat because I didn’t want to get pulled down with the suction,” he said. “They were on the boat like, ‘Come on, come on!’ I’m like, ‘Dude, the boat is going down. We gotta get away from it.”
First responders from Scituate and Marshfield said rescuing the three men was difficult because they were heavy and slippery with diesel.
“They seemed like they were on their last legs,” said Scituate Fire Chief John Murphy. “They were very desperate. They were clinging on for life. Forty-five minutes in 40-degree water — I don’t know how they survived.”
In addition to Rodrick, the boat’s captain remains hospitalized. The third man was released and all are expected to be OK.
On Wednesday, dive teams went down 45 feet to stop the boat from leaking diesel.
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