Man dies on Peddocks Island in Boston Harbor; investigation underway

By Zachary T. Sampson, Globe Correspondent

Authorities are investigating the death of a man on Peddocks Island in Boston Harbor on Friday night, a State Police spokesman said.

Troopers responded at 9:35 p.m. to a call for medical assistance from the island, which is managed by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation, said the spokesman, David Procopio. He said a young adult man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The man apparently had sustained head injuries and may have gone into cardiac arrest, Procopio said, but an autopsy is needed to confirm the cause of death.

He said it was not known why the man was on the island, adding that is one question investigators will try to answer.

A spokeswoman for the DCR declined to comment, saying State Police had taken over the scene late Friday night.

Peddocks Island is in the Boston Harbor Islands chain, and it is one of the largest in the harbor. Just off the coast of Hull, it was home to Fort Andrews in the early 20th Century. It contains hiking trails and private cottages, according to the Harbor Islands website.

The Boston Fire Department reported that some of its crews, as well as public safety officials from Boston Emergency Medical Services and the Hull Fire department, also responded to the island Friday night.

According to the Fire Department’s Twitter page, initial reports from the scene suggested that the man may have fell into the basement of a quartermaster’s building because of a medical issue.

The island in the last several years has undergone a multi-million dollar rehabilitation, and it was used as a site for filming the 2010 movie “Shutter Island.” It fell into decay after World War II, when it was used as a prisoner of war camp for Italian soldiers.