Two teenagers and three lifeguards hospitalized after boat capsizes off Falmouth beach

Two teenagers were hospitalized with hypothermia after their boat capsized in heavy surf at the weekend.

Falmouth Fire Service say they responded to Black Beach just after 5pm on Saturday to reports of an overturned sailboat with two people in the water.

Ambulances, along with several marina assets, including an inflatable boat and the 31-foot Falmouth Harbor Fire and Rescue Boat Station, quickly responded to the scene.

Arriving crews found two teenage sailors in the water near an overturned 14-foot sailboat. A family member of the overturned sailors was also in the water trying to help.

Authorities say everyone in the water was wearing a flotation device, but strong surf and wind made rescues especially difficult.

A family member who tried to help was the first to be pulled out by rescuers. An inflatable boat was sent out into the surf to try to find the two teenage sailors.

A 45-foot U.S. Coast Guard vessel arrived from Buzzards Bay to assist, and officials said after using a drone from the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office, two sailors were spotted heading toward the shoals south of the original capsize.

Both sailors were brought to the shore by ambulance crews. Two teenagers were taken to Falmouth Hospital to be treated for hypothermia.

Officials say two rescue firefighters suffered minor injuries while working in the surf and were taken to Falmouth Hospital for evaluation.

A police officer was also taken to the intensive care unit for examination.

The overturned sailboat was towed to deeper waters by Falmouth Fire Rescue’s 31-foot vessel. Crews transported the sailboat to the Coast Guard to eliminate navigational hazards.

Operations on the beach ended just after 9:00 p.m. Firefighters from Joint Base Cape Cod and Mashpee firefighters covered the station in Falmouth.

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