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Egan Maritime Institute: Lifesavers Recognition Day Ceremony

Stories

Beach Life

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Nantucket’s history is filled with stories of heroic lifesaving efforts by everyday citizens and those who went above and beyond the call of duty. Honoring that tradition, Egan Maritime Institute and Nantucket Cottage Hospital recognized modern-day lifesavers on Friday, September 11, 2020 during the annual Lifesavers Recognition Day ceremony at the Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum.


These individuals from the Nantucket community were recognized for their efforts are:

Captain John Flynn and his crew of the Hy-Line ferry Grey Lady IV

In June a man in his late 70’s fell off the Steamship Authority’s freight boat. When the Grey Lady IV came across the scene, they heard the man’s cries for help. Captain Flynn instructed his crew to go into man-overboard procedure. It was a very difficult and complex rescue and the man was regressing into hypothermia. If it were not for the brave actions of the captain and the crew this gentleman would have not survived.

Nantucket lifeguards Matt Finlay and Marcus Gold and fishing charter captain and owner of Bill Fisher Tackle, Corey Gammill

On June 14, Matt and Marcus were on patrol near Ladies Beach when they spotted someone in distress about a half mile offshore. When they swam closer, they realized it was actually 2 men and a small child. The child was on a paddle board and was rapidly being pushed out to sea. As the lifeguards were furiously swimming to save the child, Capt. Corey Gammill and his boat arrived. As a group effort, they saved all 3 individuals, got them into the boat and called ahead to shore where an ambulance was waiting to transport them safely to the hospital.

Scott Silverman, a Sconset summer resident

During the late afternoon of July 27th Scott was enjoying Sconset Beach when he spotted an an 85 year old man in the surf. The gentleman got knocked over by a wave, struggling to stand up. When it happened a second time he did not get up. Scott, recalling his teenage training as a lifeguard, started sprinting towards the man. Scott spotted the man underwater, grabbed the man under his arms and found a way to raise him up. It was a very rough day, but Scott managed to hold on to him and walked him out of the water to his chair on the beach. Once again, an unfortunate outcome was avoided by an observant and intrepid individual willing to save a stranger.

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