Two people injured, sailboat sunk after boating accident in Hingham

HINGHAM – Two people were seriously injured and hospitalized after a dramatic boating accident in Hingham Bay, Hingham, first responders said.

Sailboat sunk in accident

A sailboat sank into the water after a speedboat collided with it, according to investigators. Two people were injured.

The accident shocked longtime boaters like Bill Norton, who saw the sailboat's mast looming menacingly from his home across the bay.

“I hoped no one was hurt. A boat can be replaced, but when people get hurt, that's a different story,” Norton said. “A sailboat always has the right of way over a motorboat.”

“Not an everyday occurrence”

Water taxi captain Ray Suarez saw the aftermath as he spent the day ferrying passengers back and forth. He has spent most of his life on the water and said the sight was unusual.

“We saw the mast just sticking out of the water. There were a lot of police and recovery boats there trying to figure out what to do with it,” said Captain Suarez. “Sailboats are generally very slow and motorboats are generally very fast. So obviously someone wasn't paying attention because they hit the boat so hard that it sank, and that doesn't happen often.”

Rescue crews from Hingham and Weymouth, as well as the Massachusetts Environmental Police, responded to the boating accident. Rescue crews say a tugboat will recover the sunken sailboat because it poses a danger to other boats operating in the bay.

“Make sure you have life preservers for everyone on board and travel at a safe speed to keep you safe and the people around you safe,” said Captain Suarez.

The Massachusetts Environmental Police are investigating the incident.