New Bedford Police Rescue Fisherman From Freezing Water Near Fish Island

NEW BEDFORD (WBSM) — New Bedford Police rescued a fisherman from the frigid waters off Fish Island early this morning, and the entire incident was captured on their body-worn cameras.

New Bedford Fisherman Calls 911 After Falling Between Boats

According to a New Bedford Police Facebook post, Officer Kenneth Almeida responded to the area of Fish Island for a requested well-being check just after 6:30 a.m.

It was later learned that the person who called in the request was also the victim. He had called 911 to report that he had fallen into the freezing water between two fishing vessels and could not pull himself out.

Officer Lowered Down to Reach Victim in Water

Officer Almeida arrived to find the man in the water, gripping onto the dock lines. As seen in Almeida’s body-worn camera video, he told the victim, “I’m coming” and then was lowered down to be able to reach him.

“I’m not letting you go,” he reassured the victim, as he grasped his arm.

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The victim was concerned about his weight and whether the officers would be able to pull him up from the water, as he was weakened from suspected hypothermia.

“That’s okay,” Officer Almeida said. “You’ve probably got the strongest guys you could have here.”

Team Effort Pulls Fisherman From Frigid Harbor

With the help of Officers Mackenzie Sylvester, Abraham Nazario, Andy Soares and Jesse Branagan, the unidentified man was safely pulled from the water. He was transported to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment.

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New Bedford Police: Officers Took "Decisive Action"

“We commend all of the responding officers for their quick thinking, teamwork, and decisive action,” the department wrote. “Their coordinated efforts ensured the fisherman was quickly located and safely removed from the freezing water so he could receive medical care.”