Video, audio: Coast Guard rescues 3 teens off Cape Cod

By Globe Staff

Video shot from a helicopter shows a Coast Guard rescue swimmer fighting through a strong current off Cape Cod Thursday to save three teenagers who had been swept out to sea.

The swimmer in a bright red wetsuit can been seen ferociously paddling through the greenish sea water off Barnstable, fighting through small swells and whitecaps to get to the two girls and one boy. The teens had gone for a dip off a boat and were not wearing life jackets when they were washed out to sea. The rescue occurred just before 3 p.m. near the mouth of Barnstable Harbor.

The teens were out in a boat with the father of one of the girls. He jumped in after the teens with life jackets when he realized they were in trouble. Back on the boat, the man's other daughter called 911.

The call was relayed to the Coast Guard station at Woods Hole. A helicopter and a 47-foot lifeboat from the Cape Cod Canal rushed to the scene. The father was able to swim back to the boat on his own. The teens were hoisted to safety in a rescue basket.

Three video clips of the rescue and be found here, here, and here. An audio clip can be heard here.

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