A man’s body was recovered from the Norton Reservoir late Monday evening after he jumped in the water but never resurfaced, touching off an hours-long search by state and local first responders, according to the Norton Fire Department.
Massachusetts Environmental Police located the man’s body around 11 p.m. Monday, nearly four hours after two men who had been out on the water in a boat with the missing man called 911 at roughly 7:30 p.m., Norton Fire Cheif Shawn Simmons said in a statement.
Norton Police Deputy Chief Todd Jackson told reporters at a Monday evening press conference before the man’s body was found that the two men “may have worked” with the man who disappeared under the surface. The other men called police after they tossed a life preserver at the man, but he failed to grab it and went under the surface of the water.
The trio headed out onto the reservoir around 6:30 p.m. and the two other men called 911 an hour later, according to Jackson. During the press conference, a helicopter — the State Police Air Wing — could be heard searching the waters. Massachusetts Environmental Police also assisted in the search, Jackson said.
The man had not been identified by police when Jackson spoke to reporters, though he described the man as a 40-year-old.
“All we know is that they put the boat in the water to go boating on the lake,” Jackson said, adding that the boat belonged to one of the men. “We’re not sure if they were fishing.”
When Jackson spoke to press, the search was still active and had not become a recovery operation.
The man went under the water about 100 yards from the shoreline, according to Jackson.
