A kiteboarder who was swept out to sea in strong winds was rescued by Edgartown and Oak Bluffs fire and rescue boats Wednesday afternoon.
Oak Bluffs fire chief Martin Greene said a call came in just after 2 p.m. about a kiteboarder that “went out a little farther than normal.” With Edgartown and Oak Bluffs sharing jurisdiction over State Beach, both towns deployed fire and rescue boats. After about 10 to 15 minutes of searching, the kiteboarder was located about 150 yards offshore, Chief Greene said.
“Our boat and Edgartown’s boat did a quick search, they found him and fortunately he was okay, he didn’t need any EMS,” the chief said.
Strong southwesterly winds that downed trees and caused power outages in other areas of Massachusetts Wednesday morning lingered in Vineyard waters Wednesday afternoon with gusts of up to 30 knots. The conditions prompted a small craft advisory that remains in effect until 4 a.m. Thursday.
“The wind and the surf was pretty nasty out there. They did a nice job between the two of them,” Chief Greene said.
— Aaron Wilson
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