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Watertown Man Who Found Boston Marathon Bomber 'Impressed' By 'Patriots Day'

BOSTON (CBS) – Three and half years after terror unfolded at the Boston Marathon finish line, the story of that day and the manhunt that followed is hitting the big screen. Patriots Day opens in Boston on Wednesday, December 21. For many, it's a deeply personal story.

Dave Henneberry is one of those people. The quick-thinking Watertown boat owner helped bring the 100-hour long manhunt for the Boston Marathon bombers to an end. The city and surrounding areas had been shut down while police searched for the surviving bomber. Just moments after officials lifted that shelter-in-place order, Henneberry walked into his backyard and came face-to-face with Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

dave henneberry
Dave Henneberry. (WBZ-TV)

"I'm the guy that found the bomber in my boat," Henneberry said while on the set of the new movie Patriots Day. It was Henneberry's sharp eye that finally brought the tense day-long Watertown search to a close. He noticed blood on his boat, The Slipaway II, and called police.

Henneberry was invited to visit the Framingham set that was turned into his Watertown home for the film. "It really impressed me to see what was done. It's almost exactly like my backyard."

Boston Marathon Bombings Evidence
The boat where Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was found and captured in Watertown. (Photo courtesy: Massachusetts State Police)

While on location, there was also a surprise request. Henneberry was asked to be an extra in the movie. "Here I was and little did I expect to be in the movie with a talking part to Mark Wahlberg."

Henneberry doesn't play himself, but instead he took on the role of a neighbor. He said he's proud of how he is portrayed in the movie.

"Makes me feel good. I'll be represented good anyhow, the scene in the backyard."

Patriots Day is produced by our sister company, CBS Films.

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