TURNER, Maine — Several people are recovering after a wild afternoon along the Androscoggin River.
It all started Thursday afternoon, when a man’s boat taking on water.
Wardens said Timothy Bouchard, 28, of Greene took out his boat to do some fishing when the boat started sinking.
A pilot flying a seaplane above the river noticed the problem and yelled to a family on a speedboat nearby. Bouchard’s stepfather said the family — the Portillos of Turner — rescued Bouchard and started to tow his boat back to shore when the engine on their boat snapped, their boat flipped and everyone ended up in the frigid water, including the family’s children.
The pilot and his passenger saw what happened and were able to help everyone get back to shore safely. Bouchard’s family said everyone involved is doing fine, but the Portillo’s speedboat was brand new and now the engine is gone.
“We just want to thank them for everything they did,” Gerry Breton said. “We feel really bad what happened to their boat, and you can’t thank them enough. We’re just happy everyone is OK.”
Bouchard’s family said they would like to give back to the family who helped rescue him. They are planning to set up a fund in the coming days and hope to raise enough money to help them purchase a new boat.