BOSTON -- There was an unusual rescue in Boston Harbor Friday morning.
NewsCenter 5's Kelley Tuthill reported that a large hook became lodged in
the head of a lobsterman and EMS crews were quickly called into action.
"We had a 25-year-old fisherman onboard a fishing vessel that apparently had
a mishap with a hook that impaled his head," said Lt. Chris Stratton, of the
Boston Emergency Medical Services. After Boston police received word of the
accident, a boat with EMS workers onboard raced to meet the lobster boat.
Onboard they found Joe Laller with a 6-foot hook used to pull in lobster
buoys stuck in his head.
"We were able to have paramedics onboard that were able to assist him. We
asked if he needed any medications to help stop the pain, and we brought him
in to shore," said EMS worker Megan Tuthill.
"We enlisted the support of the fire department to cut off the hook so it
was manageable enough to transport him to the hospital," said Stratton.
After the hook was cut from the pole, the EMS team carefully carried Laller
to a waiting ambulance.
Remarkably, Laller's girlfriend heard reassuring news when she arrived at a
South Boston dock after the accident.
"He's going to be OK. Just anytime anything gets impaled like that, they
have to leave it in until the bleeding stops, but I guess he is going to be
OK," said girlfriend Jen Souris.
EMS workers considered the lobsterman very lucky.
"Very stable, conscious and speaking with our crewmen and, under the
circumstances, quite lucky," said Stratton.
The lobsterman has been treated and released from Boston Medical Center.
There was no word on how the accident occurred.