HALIFAX, Mass. — A woman was pulled out of East Monponsett Lake Thursday night when Halifax police say someone saw a woman in her 50s or 60s struggling in the water and called 911.
Police officers arrived around 9 p.m. in the dark and were able to spot the woman from shore. Officer Michael Boncariewski grabbed a kayak off the racks near the Twin Lakes Condominiums and started paddling toward her. This was the officer’s first water rescue in his career.
“It was an out-of-body experience. It’s what we train for,” Officer Boncariewski said. “You put everything in the back of your mind to just go out and make sure that individual can get to safety.”
He reached the woman who was breathing, but unresponsive. The officer says he held her head above the water.
As he tended to the woman, off-duty Duxbury firefighter Jennifer Stratton ran out of her home a few hundred feet away to get involved.
“If we’re home and we hear something, if we’re able to help, we’re happy to do it,” Stratton said.
Stratton and her husband are firefighters. She grabbed her kayak and headed into the lake. She quickly realized she needed to ditch the kayak to help the woman back to land.
“The only way to get her back in was to get in the water myself and actually drag her back into the shore which is what we did. I wasn’t thinking about it, just making sure she was able to get to the ambulance and get the care that she needed.”
The woman was eventually airlifted to a Boston hospital in critical condition. Police say she fell off a paddleboard and while a life jacket was recovered, she was not wearing it at the time she was found.
The two first responders were thankful someone heard the woman struggling and called 9-1-1.
“Anytime we are able to help a person, we live in dark times so it’s a great feeling to hopefully have a positive outcome,” Stratton said.
The Halifax Police Chief praised the team effort to help the woman to safety.
“So proud of my officers and obviously fire fighter Stratton and she happens to be a Halifax resident and jumped into action when someone needed help,” Chief Joao Chaves said.
The Duxbury Fire Department also released the following statement:
“The Duxbury Fire Department commends Firefighter Jennifer Stratton for her quick actions while off duty during a water rescue on East Monponsett Lake in Halifax on September 11, 2025 in the late evening.
While off duty, Firefighter Stratton sprang into action, kayaking out and jumping into the water to help pull the victim to shore. Her willingness to step forward and assist in a dangerous situation demonstrates the courage, professionalism and commitment to service that define the fire service. Firefighter Stratton’s actions are a reminder that firefighters are never truly off duty when someone is in need. We are proud to have her as a member of our department."
Boston 25 will update you once we have new information on the woman’s recovery.
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