Today, what began as a casual family outing on Lake Whitehall ended in tragedy as a man drowned on Lake Whitehall.

The victim, reportedly in his early forties, suffered an apparent medical event around 5:00 PM while boating with his wife and two young children. The man fell overboard and began to sink.

His wife, a nurse, was able to bring him back into the boat and immediately began administering CPR as the boat was steered to an island in the middle of the lake. A nearby boater noticed they were in distress and dialed 911. Emergency services were dispatched, and the District 14 Dive Team, consisting of rescue personnel from Hopkinton and Westborough responded quickly. Units from Ashland and Framingham arrived later to render additional assistance. The Dive Team launched three boats and successfully retrieved the man on the island while a State Police helicopter unit provided air support.

The rescue team worked on the man, continuing to administer CPR until he was moved to the ambulance for transport to UMass Memorial Hospital in Worcester. Unfortunately, the man was pronounced dead upon arrival. 

The identity of the man has not been released, but Hopkinton Fire Chief Gary Daugherty, Jr. confirmed he was not a Hopkinton resident. The incident remains under investigation by the Hopkinton Police Department, with assistance from the Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office.

Chief Daugherty expressed dismay for the victim’s family. “It is a very sad day,” he said. “No child should have to witness what they went through today.”