SHREWSBURY — Shrewsbury police and fire personnel rescued a man from Lake Quinsigamond this morning after he was found struggling to stay afloat under the Route 9 Bridge, according to a press release from the Shrewsbury Police Department.
The department received a 911 call around 7:50 a.m., on March 20, reporting a missing man in the area of 7 Boston Turnpike, the site of the former Buca di Beppo restaurant.
Officers responded and began searching the area.
At 8:01 a.m., Officer Kevin Warwick spotted the man in the middle of the lake. He was yelling for help and appeared to be struggling to stay afloat in the estimated 42-degree water, with an air temperature of around 40 degrees.
Several officers positioned on the bridge above threw rescue flotation devices to the man while providing instructions.
Shrewsbury Fire Department crews, including a rescue diver, and Worcester EMS paramedics also arrived to assist. The Shrewsbury Police drone unit was launched to help coordinate the rescue.
Using a rope attached to a rescue device, officers on the bridge pulled the man closer to shore. Once he was within reach, the Shrewsbury Fire rescue diver entered the water and assisted him to shore, where additional officers helped pull them both in using a rope.
By 8:11 a.m., the man was safely on land and received immediate medical aid before being transported to a local hospital. His condition has not been released.
The police department credited the successful rescue in part to the Manny Tube, a flotation device donated by the Manny 267 Foundation in honor of Fallen Worcester Police Officer Manny Familia, who died attempting to save a drowning victim in 2021. Officers also used ResQ Discs, which have been used in past rescues.
The circumstances surrounding how the man ended up in the lake remain under investigation.
