Concord Fire And Rescue Teams, Police Perform Water Rescue Search On The Merrimack River

CONCORD, NH — Concord fire and rescue teams, as well as police, spent about an hour Tuesday night searching the Merrimack River after a witness reported seeing a man in the water.

Just after 6 p.m., police and Capital Region Fire dispatchers began receiving calls about a man with blonde hair in the water below the Manchester Street bridge. It was unknown if the man was in distress, the caller told police dispatch. Fire dispatch reported a caller stated the man may have been in a kayak near Basin Street.

Concord firefighters prepared to launch boats into the river from the NHTI boat ramp and the Kiwanis Park boat launch while police headed to the river to search the shoreline from both sides.

A few minutes later, a pedestrian on the bridge reported the man had perched himself onto a rock near Basin Street with a kayak.

Officers searched the river from both sides, using Black Hill Road and Basin Street, but did not see anything. Firefighters in a boat searched the river but were also unable to find anyone.

A battalion commander and police officer later also searched access points along the river, all the way to the Bow town line, including Longmeadow Drive and Hall Street.

The search was called just before 7 p.m., with firefighters unable to locate anyone, but calling it a good intent call.

Later on Tuesday night, a Concord father informed Concord NH Patch he was the man in the river, searching for his son's monster truck after he had dropped it while kayaking earlier in the day.

"That was me," he said, adding, "I was unsuccessful (finding the truck). Sorry for the fuss, though."

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