OUTHWICK, Mass. (WWLP) - The calm waters of the North Pond area of Congamond Lake were anything but calm early Sunday morning.
Just before 2 a.m. Southwick police got word a canoe with two men in it, capsized.
Southwick police officer Don Day told 22News when the boat flipped, one of the men was able to swim to land, the other needed rescuing and he needed it quick.
Not enough time to wait for a police boat, a resident on the lake offered to take police out on their pontoon boat. Luckily, they found the man, floating in the lake, clinging to life and got him to a hospital.
Now Southwick police are trying to figure out why the accident happened.
Mark Brown lives on the South Pond and told 22News, despite its dangers, people boat late at night like that on a regular basis.
"I can hear boats from my house speeding across the lake, I can see the lights on the boats. So, there are people out there, especially during the weekend," Brown said.
Other boaters say there are accidents there all the time and it comes as no surprise.
"It's a pretty rowdy lake on Congamond Lake, the cops have their hands full. Canoes aren't very stable anyway. It's pretty easy to tip one of those over so I can see it happening," said Doug Max, Granby.
Southwick police still aren't releasing any personal information about the boaters or the 9-1-1 caller. He was taken to Noble hospital in Westfield.
http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/local/hampden/man-rescued-after-boating-accident