Around 1:10 p.m. a bystander called 911 to report that 10 people were being overcome by a rising tide.
Firefighters rescued the two adults and eight children. The group, who are from Glastonbury, had walked out from Silver Sands State Park’s shore to Charles Island on a sandbar that appears during low tide, but they did not realize that the tide was rising, and got overrun while trying to get back to the park’s shore.
Three marine units from the Fire Department utilized a jet ski specifically designated for water rescues to get the group, many of which barely had their heads above water by the time first responders arrived.
Firefighters first rescued the two youngest kids and brought them to shore on the jet ski, and then the rest of the group was rescued.
No one was injured during the incident.
The Fire Department wants to remind people to obey warning signs on the shoreline to ensure safety.
