Man rescued from choppy waters off Crane Beach in Ipswich

Ipswich fire officials rescued a man who was treading water off the coast of Crane Beach Friday night amid choppy seas due to Hurricane Lee.

Operators received a 911 call around 6 p.m. from a man who was in the water about 100 to 200 feet from the shore, according to Ipswich police.

The man said he had fallen off a jet ski and needed help. Dispatchers located the man using GPS based on his cellphone, and he was pulled from the water by Ipswich Fire’s Marine Unit 1. Responders took him by ambulance to a local hospital as a precautionary measure, according to officials.

Rescuers encountered rough conditions due to the hurricane, which is set to bring high winds and heavy rain to New England over the weekend. 

“There were dangerous conditions on the water between the wave heights and wind,” said Ipswich Fire Chief Paul Parisi. “I’m grateful to the firefighters and police officers who put themselves in harm’s way to make this rescue happen.”

Parisi also praised the quick thinking of the dispatchers. 

“Our crew did make the rescue, but I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge the efforts of our dispatch team. Their fine work was why we were able to find him quickly. This could’ve been a much different story without their information and assistance,” Parisi said. 

Ipswich officials cautioned people to avoid the water as Hurricane Lee passes by the New England coast. Not only do the dangerous conditions put swimmers and boaters at risk, they said, it also complicates rescue efforts.