New Bedford Father And Son Rescued After Boat Throws Motor

A New Bedford father and son had to be pulled from the waters of Lees Wharf in Newport, RI on Saturday.

According to EastBayRI.com, the Assistant Harbormaster and two fisherman saw the father and son heading out to sea in a small boat and moving pretty quickly,

And then suddenly they weren't moving at all.

The onlookers report seeing the boat come to a violent stop and both men were instantly in the water.

Lucky for the father and son, these three men were on the town dock at the time and could spring right into action. The got in the harbormaster boat and got right out to the two men.

They website reports that the younger man was dragged onto the harbormaster boat while the older man had to helped aboard with a boat ladder.

The water was probably about 50 degrees that day and both father and son were freezing when they got onboard. An ambulance was called to check them out, but both men declined a trip to the hospital.

The pair, Carl Smith of New Bedford and son Kyle Smith of Dartmouth, told their rescuers that this was their maiden voyage in a new-to-them boat and its brand new motor. The boat is a 13-footer powered by a 15 or 20 horsepower motor.

The boat did sink and had to be hauled back to the surface. It was then motored over to the boat ramp, drained and loaded onto the owners’ trailer. The engine and two life jackets were still inside.