TRURO – Update: Sunday afternoon, the Cape and Islands District Attorney’s office identified the victim as Ross A. Williamson, 26, of Bolton, CT. The D.A.’s office said the case had been accepted by the Office of the Medical Examiner but there was nothing to at this time to suggest the cause of death was anything other then accidental.
Update: Truro Police report that as the search resumed Sunday morning, The body of the man swept to sea Saturday was recovered about a mile north of Balston Beach Sunday Morning. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of family members. Mass State Police and National Park Rangers are investigating the incident.
Previous story: A man was apparently swept into the surf at Balston Beach in Truro around 1:30 PM Saturday afternoon. Truro Police and Fire along with a State Police helicopter and a U.S. Coast Guard vessel and helicopter all responded assist to the desperate search for the 26-year-old man. Some family members reportedly tried unsuccessfully to reach the victim who may have gotten caught in a rip current. One person believed to be a family member was seen on a stretcher being carried to an ambulance. The Sandwich Fire Boat was transporting a State Police dive team to the scene. The search was suspended at darkness fell. We’re checking with authorities for further details.
Statement from Truro Police: On September 29, 2018, at approximately 1333 hours, members of the Truro Police and Fire Department responded to Balston Beach, 139 South Pamet Road, for the report of a swimmer in distress. Several additional agencies responded to assist in a rescue effort. The missing swimmer was described as a male in his late 20’s. He was reportedly fully clothed and was last seen approximately six-hundred (600) yards south of Balston Beach in the surf.
Crews attempted to locate the missing swimmer, assisted by the United States Coast Guard and the Massachusetts State Police. As of 1830 hours, the missing swimmer had not yet been located. Officials called off the search once it became dark, and a recovery mission will resume in the morning.
The swimmer is not being identified at this time.
Truro Police report all ocean side beaches are closed to swimming until further notice.
Statement from U.S. Coast Guard: Coast Guard rescue crews are searching for a 26-year-old man Saturday afternoon off the coast of Truro.
The missing man was last seen swimming near the shore at Ballston Beach.
Watchstanders at Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England were notified of a person in the water at 2:30 p.m. A response boat crew from Coast Guard Station Provincetown and a rescue air crew from Air Station Cape Cod responded to the search.
A Massachusetts State Police helicopter and the Truro Fire Department also assisted in the search.
A dive team from Sandwich Fire Department was responding to Ballston Beach as well.
Anyone with additional information is asked to contact Sector Southeastern New England, at (508) 457-3211
The Coast Guard has suspended its search tonight for a man in the water off Ballston Beach.
He was last seen Saturday early afternoon near the shore.
Search crews included:
· A Coast Guard Station Provincetown 47-foot Motor Lifeboat crew
· A Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew
· Massachusetts State Police
· Truro Fire and Police Departments
The Coast Guard search is suspended pending any further developments.
State and local agencies plan to resume searching Sunday morning.
Any further questions may be directed to the Massachusetts State Police at (508) 820-2121
Balston Beach surf rescue Truro, MA 9/29/18 from Cape Wide News LLC on Vimeo.
Photo and video by Tim Caldwell/CWN
