Boylston Ice Rescue: 4 People Pulled From Water

BOYLSTON (CBS) -- Four people were pulled to safety after falling through the ice in Boylston Monday afternoon. A fisherman fell through the ice, and three bystanders attempted to save him, but also needed to be rescued.

Jim Hughes said he heard the fisherman screaming for help. "At that point from where I was at, I could see where he had been ice fishing and I could see that he was actually in the water," Hughes said. "I didn't realize the ice was that thin and as I made my way out past the first dock on the ice I went through."

The other two people who tried to help were contractors who were working on a nearby home.

Another good Samaritan, Brian Bartlett, used a large tube to try and rescue the man who was hypothermic after 20-plus minutes in the water. "By the time I got him up on the raft, I realized there was nothing more I could do," Bartlett said. "I couldn't get us out of there."

A hovercraft from Shrewsbury Fire made its way to them first, as other firefighters rescued the remaining good Samaritans who had fallen in.

The fisherman was transported to the hospital with hypothermia symptoms. The three others were treated on scene and released.

Firefighters from Clinton, Shrewsbury, Northboro and Berlin assisted in the rescue.