Harwich Couple Safe After Falling Off Boat Mile From Shore

HARWICH (CBS) - A Harwich couple is lucky to be alive after falling into the ocean about a mile south of Harwichport.

"Adrenaline kicked in," says Scott Cipolla.

Scott and his girlfriend, Sherry Allen, were in their 14 foot inflatable boat with an electric motor when they both fell in. The motor was running with the boat, quickly pulling away.

"I swam as fast as I could to get to that boat because he was behind me and I knew he wasn't going to make it so I swam as fast as I could. I missed the rope by an inch," says Sherry.

Scott said, "it pulled away, and I said don't worry, I'm going to get it. I thought I could get it."

Within seconds their boat was out of reach and moving away, with the life jackets on it.

"I had already thought at that point that he was gone, that he died. I really believed this," Sherry said.

Sherry was able to use a bait bucket to stay afloat as Scott started swimming toward the beach.

"I was swimming backwards too to see if I could see her, and I couldn't see her," Scott said.

Scott managed to swim the mile to shore, and used someone's cell phone to call 911. But by then, a sailboat had picked up Sherry.

Harwich Assistant Harbormaster Heinz Proft said, "that ranks up there in the extremely, very lucky scenarios."

Scott says the next time he goes that far out, he's going to have a bigger boat and will be wearing a life jacket.