Lakeville Swimmer Found Safe After Search

LAKEVILLE — A man reported missing while swimming in a Lakeville pond on Sunday was found safe on a boat, the town's fire department said in a release.

Firefighters were called to a Shore Avenue home on the edge of Long Pond just before 7 p.m. Sunday for a report of a missing swimmer, according to a Monday morning Facebook post from the department.

Crews arrived with an inflatable boat, which they deployed from the backyard of the home to search the lake.

The post stated that they were over the area where the swimmer was last seen within 14 minutes.

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Firefighters used a handheld sonar device to scan for the missing man under the water, but came up empty handed.

A Lakeville police boat joined the search and help from Plymouth County's Dive Team and an underwater camera from the Middleboro Fire Department was also requested, according to the post.

Police and firefighters also looked around the shoreline and questioned neighbors during the search.

Shortly afterwards, the missing swimmer was found safe on a pontoon boat and was taken to the hospital for evaluation. All requests for assistance were canceled.

According to the post, this marks the first time the department's new inflatable boat and hand-held sonar device were used.

The vessel can be rapidly deployed from the shore to respond more quickly to water incidents.

The department wrote: "The fast response will hopefully mean the difference between a rescue and a recovery."

The sonar device was bought with an Emergency Management Agency grant and is shared with Lakeville Police.