Boater dies after apparent medical incident at Hopkinton Reservoir

HOPKINTON – A man died Thursday afternoon after falling from a boat into the water at Whitehall Reservoir in Hopkinton.

According to first responders, the man was fishing with his family, including small children and a woman, when a medical emergency apparently occurred.

Good Samaritans pull man onto island

A boater noticed the man in distress and called 911. Good Samaritans in other boats helped pull him to an island and “provided intensive care” until rescuers arrived.

Firefighters from Hopkinton and Westboro launched boats, headed to the island and brought the man and his family to shore. The man was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

“I have never seen an accident on this lake before,” said Gilles Fillion. “I have been fishing here for almost ten years.”

Firefighters said it took a while to find the victim because it was a large lake with many islands, a reservoir that was difficult to navigate even for long-time regulars.

“Accidents on the water happen all the time, so this isn't a big surprise. People are unprepared or maybe they have a medical emergency, you know, things like that can happen,” said kayaker Eileen Nikopoulos.

Knowing that anything can happen on the water at any time, they advise boaters to always be as prepared as possible.

“I always wear a life jacket because you never know what's going to happen. I carry this whistle so that if you're in trouble you can blow your whistle and get people's attention,” Nikopoulos said.

Firefighters believe the man suffered a medical incident. The death remains under investigation by Hopkinton Police and the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office.