Firefighter Dove Into Lake Quinsigamond To Save Drowning Man

SHREWSBURY, MA — An off-duty Shrewsbury firefighter jumped into Lake Quinsigamond Tuesday afternoon in an attempt to rescue a drowning man, according to authorities.

The incident happened near 4 p.m. along the Kenneth Burns Memorial Bridge connecting Shrewsbury and Worcester. Off-duty firefighter Robert Ljunggren was boating on the lake when he saw the man fall from the bridge.

Ljunggren couldn't find the man, and a Shrewsbury police patrol boat and the Worcester fire department dive team responded to help with the rescue. The 30-year-old man was pulled from the water and firefighters gave him CPR, but he was later pronounced dead at UMass Memorial in Worcester, Shrewsbury police said.

Authorities do not know if the victim either jumped or fell into the lake. Worcester police are handling the investigation.

This is at least the second water rescue so far in 2022 along Lake Quinsigamond. On Memorial Day, a 16-year-old was pulled from the water near the Regatta Point section of Lake Quinsigamond State Park. The swimming area was closed at the time of the incident.