Kite Surfer Rescued After Pulled From Tuckerman's Reef to Cliff Walk

The Coast Guard rescued a kite surfer Sunday afternoon, after he was pulled from Tuckerman's Reef to Cliff Walk.  Officials say the victim is lucky that he did not sustain injuries.

Marc Sacco first spotted the victim as he was walking down Cliff Walk with his family.

"We noticed what appeared to be a kite or sail floating towards to the Cliff Walk just off the end of Webster Street" said Sacco.

He reported that his daughter along with another witness saw and signaled the victim.

"We saw him wave back at us and initiated 911," Sacco said. "My daughter kept a constant eye on his location while I was still on the phone with the Coast Guard."

With the storm swell and 12-foot surf, hurricane sports can be extremely dangerous, said the department.  Although the Middletown Fire Department's jet ski was on-scene, it was determined to be too dangerous to take into the water. 

"It just takes a second to get overwhelmed out there," said a member of the department. 

Middletown surfer Ken Lacey said it's a difficult tack on Sunday with northeast wind.  "It pulls you out to sea," he said. A south wind can pull you back to beach.

"They live for this stuff, but the problem is if you don't know what you are doing, it can be deadly," said Lacey.

Middletown Fire Chief Ronald Doire urges people to stay out of the water during the storm.