FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
At approximately 4:01 PM on September 7, 2020 the Wellesley Police Department 9-1-1 center received a call reporting an overturned canoe on Longfellow Pond in Wellesley. Longfellow is a small pond located between Oakland Street and Route 9 in Wellesley. Callers reported that a canoe had capsized and an adult male and adult female were in the water. An additional caller reported that a male victim had possibly gone under the water. The female was able to get to the shore safely near Standish Circle.
The Wellesley Police and Fire Departments responded to the scene, along with Cataldo Ambulance paramedics. Due to the nature of the incident, the Natick Fire Department Dive Team and the Cambridge Fire Department Dive Team also responded to the scene. Trained fire department divers went into the water and commenced an underwater search. The male victim was located by divers approximately 10 yards off shore under water around 5:20 PM. The victim was unconscious and unresponsive.
The victim was transported via fire boat to Oakland Street, where he was transported by paramedics to Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
The victim was pronounced dead at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.
The victim’s name is not being released at this time until proper notifications can be made to family members. The incident is under investigation, but does not appear suspicious in nature at this time.