Man injured in Fall River boat crash lied to officials that third occupant was missing from boat

An injured man from a boat crash in the Taunton River led officials to search the waters for a missing man that didn’t exist.

According to Deputy Chief Barden Castro, at approximately 9:45 p.m. last night, Fall River Police communications received an emergency call reporting a boat accident on the Taunton River.

Emergency personnel were able to determine that a boat with two occupants, a 43-year-old Mansfield man and a 44-year-old man from North Easton, had struck the pier of the former Shell Oil tank farm at the end of New Street in Fall River.

Fall River Fire Department personnel transported both men who had unspecified injuries to Rhode Island Hospital for treatment.

Initially, one of the injured men told investigators that a third unidentified man had been in the boat. This statement triggered a law enforcement response to try to find the missing party. The man later admitted that he had lied and that there were only two people on the vessel.

Additionally, assistance was provided by the Fall River and Somerset Harbor Masters, MA State Police, MA Environmental Police, US Coast Guard, and other agencies.

District Fire Chief Neil Furtado was in charge of the boat rescue.

Castro stated that because this was a serious boating accident, MA Environmental Police will be handling the investigation.