Vacationers Save Boater From Drowning In Cape Cod Pond

HARWICH, MA — Two people vacationing on Cape Cod rescued a boater from drowning in a pond on Monday, according to Harwich fire officials.

The near drowning happened around 8:45 a.m., when a person tried retrieving a small boat in Seymour Pond about 50 feet from shore, fire officials said. Someone on shore called 911, but while first responders made their way to the pond, two bystanders jumped into the water to help.

Fire officials said Grace Jarboe and Joe Evans swam to the boater and brought him to shore. Evans took an empty kayak with him, and the two vacationers put the man on it and brought him back to shore in front of a house on Lake Shore Drive.

Emergency officials took the man to Cape Cod Hospital in Hyannis. Fire officials said he is expected to survive.

"Clearly the actions of these two individuals made a difference today," Harwich fire Chief David LeBlanc said in a statement. "Had it not been for their quick actions, this incident could have had a tragic outcome. They deserve all the credit for making a difference."