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Oct. 02--A Beaufort firefighter used a knife to cut a man free from his sinking boat early Saturday, according to Beaufort Fire Chief Sammy Negron.
Fire Inspector Stephen Baske dove into the Beaufort River just after 1:30 a.m. Saturday when the man's arm became tangled in a line still attached to the boat, Negron said.
City firefighters and police officers also helped rescue a woman from the boat, which began to take on water as the couple were shrimping.
Firefighters were called to a site near Wilson Drive in Beaufort's Pigeon Point area after a report of boaters in distress, Negron said.
He said the couple were shrimping near Brickyard Creek when their boat began taking on water about 60 feet from the nearest dock.
Firefighters threw a rescue disk to the woman with a light line attached and used it to pull her to shore where she was treated by paramedics from Beaufort County EMS, Negron said.
After Baske freed the entangled fisherman, the man was pulled to shore by a firefighter and two police officers.
No serious injuries were reported.
The Beaufort Marine Rescue Squadron removed the boat from the river, city officials said.
