Teen Sailors Rescued After Cape Cod Sailboat Capsizes

FALMOUTH, MA — Two sailors were saved after their boat capsized near a Falmouth beach on Saturday evening. The rescue efforts sent three fire and police officials to an area hospital for evaluation.

The Falmouth Fire/Rescue Department responded to Black Beach for a capsized sailboat with two people in the water at 5:08 p.m., officials said.

Falmouth's Harbormaster and the U.S. Coast Guard were notified, and multiple marine rescue assets were mobilized and on the scene at the time.

Those first on the scene spotted an overturned 14-foot sailboat "in high surf and wind conditions." It was determined that two teenagers were sailing the boat at the time of it capsizing.

Officials said a family member had entered the water in an attempt to assist, and that all three people had flotation devices on.

Firefighters were able to remove the family member from the water first and launched an inflatable boat, though conditions were challenging due to the surf conditions, limiting access to the beach and making visibility of the two sailors difficult.

A Coast Guard response boat made it to the scene from Buzzards Bay and Barnstable County Sheriff personnel provided a drone for the search.

Eventually, the two sailors made their way to shoals further south of the initial capsizing and were assisted by personnel to the beach. They were transported to Falmouth Hospital for hypothermia.

Two fire-rescue personnel also sustained minor injuries while operating in the surf and were transported to Falmouth Hospital for evaluation, officials said.

A Falmouth police officer was also brought to the emergency room for evaluation.