WOODS HOLE – Multiple agencies responded to a report of a man overboard from a ferry in Woods Hole. The incident was reported sometime after 3:30 PM Monday.
Update: 4:15 PM: A Coast Guard helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod is on scene assisting in the Search and Rescue (SAR) mission.
Update: 4:40 PM: According to reports the Coast Guard helicopter pulled the victim from the water and is enroute to the Air Station on Joint Base Cape Cod.
Update from Falmouth Fire-Rescue: At approximately 3:30 PM, the Falmouth Fire and Falmouth Police Department responded to a water rescue call near Juniper Point in Woods Hole after the Steamship Authority Ferry crew spotted a person in the water and attempted assistance by deploying life rings.
Given poor visibility and rough seas due to ongoing storm conditions, responders immediately contacted the US Coast Guard and Harbor Master’s Office for additional resources. Marine units from Falmouth Fire Rescue, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Environmental Police were dispatched to begin a coordinated search operation. A Coast Guard helicopter was also requested and deployed to the scene.
As search efforts continued, the area of focus shifted to waters off Nobska Point. At approximately 4:25 pm, the helicopter crew located the victim and successfully deployed a rescue swimmer to retrieve them. The victim was then hoisted aboard the helicopter.
Following the rescue, the helicopter transported the victim to Joint Base Cape Cod, where Emergency Medical Services were standing by. The victim was transferred to Falmouth Hospital for evaluation and observation. The victim’s condition was not considered life-threatening.
Falmouth Police are currently investigating the circumstances of how the victim entered the water.
This rescue exemplifies the critical importance of inter-agency coordination and the exceptional skills of our Coast Guard partners. We extend our gratitude to all public safety personnel involved—from the initial report to the final transport—as well as the crew of the Steamship Ferry whose quick thinking and assistance may have played a vital role in this positive outcome.
Statement from USCG Sector Southeast New England: Sector Southeastern New England responded to a person in the water spotted by the ferry vessel Island Home Monday afternoon. The individual had fallen off a different Woods Hole ferry earlier that afternoon.
The Island Home threw life rings and lost sight of the individual when turning around to recover them. STA Woods Hole and AIRSTA Cape Cod searched, found the individual, and hoisted them into a helicopter to be transported to EMS.
The individual was transported to Falmouth Hospital and was in stable condition.
Keeping a sharp lookout at sea saves lives. In the event of maritime emergency contact the Coast Guard via VHF channel 16 or (866) 819-9128
Statement from Steamship Authority: The crew of the Steamship Authority vessel M/V Island Home observed what was believed to be a person in the water outside of Great Harbor during the vessel’s 2:30 p.m. sailing on Monday, October 13, 2025, from Vineyard Haven to Woods Hole.
In accordance with their training, the crew immediately initiated man-overboard protocol and notified the U.S. Coast Guard. Capt. Arthur Frostholm, along with Pilot Thomas Furtado and pilot and captain trainee Andrew Fritsch, maneuvered the vessel while crew members, as well as passengers, attempted to keep the person in sight in harsh conditions, with winds of up to 30 mph and seas of 6 to 8 feet reported.
The M/V Island Home prepared to launch its rescue boat, but the U.S. Coast Guard arrived on the scene before launch. The M/V Island Home remained on scene until no further assistance was needed.
Our thanks and appreciation go to the crew of the M/V Island Home for their quick actions, which ultimately resulted in a positive outcome. We also offer our thanks to the passengers onboard who assisted in the attempts to locate the person.
The Authority has no further information to release at this time, and any additional inquiries should be directed to the U.S. Coast Guard.
