The Coast Guard rescued a man from the water off the coast of Falmouth, Massachusetts Monday afternoon. Video from Falmouth police showed the moment he was hoisted from the ocean into a Coast Guard helicopter.
At about 3:30 p.m., the crew of Steamship Authority ferry “M/V Island Home” reported seeing a person in the water near Juniper Point-Woods Hole and attempted to assist the person by throwing life rings into the water.
Sea conditions and visibility were poor at the time due to a nor’easter that brought windswept rain to the Massachusetts coastline.
Falmouth Police 
The Coast Guard, Falmouth Fire, and Environmental Police were sent to the area to begin a search.
A Coast Guard helicopter crew located the man in the area off Nobska Point at about 4:25 p.m. A Coast Guard rescue swimmer was sent in and the man was hoisted into the helicopter.
The helicopter took the man to Joint Base Cape Cod. He was taken to Falmouth Hospital where he was treated for exposure. His name has not been made public.
Man overboard from one ferry, spotted by another ferry
“The person was originally aboard the Ferry Nantucket and was spotted overboard by the “Island Home,” Coast Guard spokesperson Keira Shantry said in a statement Tuesday afternoon.
“It is not clear how the individual fell into the water. Coast Guard Station Woods Hull and a helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod is assisted with search efforts for approximately 1 hour. The person was recovered and transported to Air Station Cape Cod where they were seen by EMS and is in stable condition with no reported injuries.”
“No further information regarding how the victim entered the water is available,” Falmouth Police said in a statement.
The ferry from Vineyard Haven was on its way to Woods Hole when people spotted the man in the water. Roy Mundy was one of the passengers on board who didn’t hesitate to help.
“Out of nowhere one person stood up and said, ‘man overboard’ and it was really intense because every single person on the boat shot up immediately,” Mundy said. “It was horrendous out there so I’m so happy that they found him, we all wanted him to be found but you have to be honest, it looked bleak it was so dangerous out there.”
Good Samaritans and crewmembers went out on the windy deck, throwing life rings to the man, and trying to keep their eyes on him.
“It was very shocking,” Mundy said. “I saw a father out there who was trying to spot him while their son was by the door crying trying to get the father back in because he was scared he was going to fall over, it was very intense.”
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