Emergency responders rescued four people after a 23-foot Sea Ox skiff struck rocks nearshore at Spruce Point just after midnight on July 9.

Boothbay Harbor Police Chief Bob Hasch said police received a call at about 11:30 p.m. about a boat in the inner harbor with no running lights, acting suspiciously. Hasch, who was off duty but downtown with Sgt. Pat Higgins at the time, jumped into a private boat while Officers Tom Chryplewicz and John Braley searched for the boat from shore.

Hasch said police then began receiving more calls about the vessel and these reports indicated a possible fight on board. Harbormaster Nick Upham arrived and joined in the search with his boat. Hasch said the search was complicated by the moonless night.

Just after midnight, Lincoln County Communications received a 911 call from a woman on the boat, but was unable to get an accurate location. At 12:19 a.m., a woman on board the vessel called 911 again to report the boat had crashed near Spruce Point. Hasch said Officer John Braley was first to locate the boat, floating nearshore off Central Avenue.

In addition to BHPD, Boothbay Harbor and Boothbay fire departments, Boothbay Region Ambulance Service and the Coast Guard responded to the scene. When they arrived, two men were injured on board and an injured woman was outside the boat on the rocks. A second woman was attending to the unconscious man in the boat.

The vessel was adrift in a small cove between ledge outcrops. The tide was low and an extensive seaweed-covered, rocky shoreline stood between rescuers and the vessel.

“Trying to carry 200-plus pound men over the seaweed and rocks was going to be very difficult,” Hasch said.

Fortunately, Upham was able to maneuver his vessel into the rocky, narrow cove and tow the boat to a nearby private float, where the injured could be safely carried to shore. Hasch said ambulance crews transported three people to the hospital.

On Saturday morning, Hasch and Marine Patrol Specialist Mike Forgues and Marine Patrol Officer DeniAnne Kilgore returned to the accident scene. They located fiberglass from the boat hull, as well as pieces of the boat’s Yamaha 225 HP engine on the ledge outcrop and in the water. They also identified scrapes on the rocky ledge and were able to estimate the boat’s trajectory. The vessel apparently struck the nearshore ledge with enough force to break the engine bracket and lose power.

“The impact shut the motor down. Once that happens the boat is susceptible to the elements,” Forgues said.

Luckily for those on board, the skiff remained upright, maintained buoyancy, and prevailing winds and seas pushed it towards the shore instead of further out.

“They were lucky. They were very fortunate to not have sustained life-threatening injuries,” Forgues said.

“If the boat had sunk, I don’t know if we would have been able to get there in time,” Hasch said.

Hasch said the immediate, large response by area police, fire and EMS was impressive, as was Lincoln County Communications’ assistance throughout the incident.

“There were so many people there on scene and they were a huge help. It’s always such a good turnout in our region with folks coming to help in these situations,” he said. “Dispatch was also excellent with coordinating all the players on the scene and with locating the vessel. It was a difficult situation and I can’t thank everyone enough for their assistance.”

BHPD and Marine Patrol are conducting a joint investigation into the accident. On Saturday evening, Forgues reported that the boat's operator was Greg Miller, 33, Boothbay; Lisa Carvalho, 32, East Wareham, Massachusetts, Scott Grady, 33, Boothbay Harbor, and Erin Miller, 29, Boothbay were passengers. The boat is owned by Wayne Moore. Hasch said those operating the vessel did have permission to use it. Police said they believe alcohol and other causes may have been a factor.