Hampton firefighters rescue capsized canoer

HAMPTON — Firefighters rescued a man whose canoe capsized in the middle of Hampton Harbor Friday morning, transporting him to a local emergency room for hypothermia.

The man's canoe was knocked over by a wave generated by a larger vessel, according to Hampton fire officials. Lifeguards spotted the man from the Neil R. Underwood Memorial Bridge and reported him to firefighters at 9:15 a.m., according to Hampton fire.

Fire Capt. David Mattson said the man was transported to Portsmouth Regional Hospital's emergency room on Route 1 in Seabrook. He said the man's temperature had dropped when firefighters treated him, the water temperature being 54 degrees Fahrenheit.

A nearby fishing vessel assisted firefighters by picking up the man from the water and bringing him to the harbor's pier, according to Fire Chief Jameson Ayotte. Hampton Beach lifeguards then assisted firefighters by dragging the boat in from the harbor with a jet ski to a nearby landing area.

Mattson said the man did not have a flotation device and his canoe, which included a motor, was better suited for a lake than the harbor. He said vessels with wider bases are better designed to handle waves from boats like the one that knocked over the man's canoe Friday.

"He wasn't necessarily prepared for the environment he was in," Mattson said. "Canoes and swells don't necessarily go well together."