Stranded Prospect Park Pedal Boater Saved By FDNY Rescue Team

PROSPECT PARK, BROOKLYN — A stranded Prospect Park pedal boater had to be hauled to shore Sunday by an elite team of emergency responders after a panicked spouse called 911 to report the boat was sinking, officials said.

The boater got stuck in the middle of the Prospect Park Lake just after 2:30 p.m. when the pedals suddenly stopped working, an FDNY spokesperson said.

A scared spouse called 911 to report a possible drowning on the north end of the lake, near 200 Well House Drive, said the FDNY.

Emergency responders rushed to the park and a helicopter zoomed over the lake to come to the boater's rescue, according to FDNY and video from the park.

A small crowd of onlookers gathered at the sides of the lake to watch as the boater was safely towed to shore.

A representative with Upsilon Ventures — the company that operates the pedal boat station at LeFrak Center at Lakeside in the park — said the rescue was the first time an incident like that has happened in their five years overseeing the boating, a spokesperson with the Prospect Park Alliance told Patch. The boat had a mechanical issue, the representative said.

The pedal boats, which can be rented April through October, are given visual inspections on a daily basis and serviced each month.

Even though the spouse in Sunday's incident called 911 directly, there are also instructions inside each boat with a number to call in case of emergency. The lakeside staff have their own emergency boat for rescues, a full-service EMT office and a lifeguard on duty at all times during boating hours, the representative said.

The boater told staff afterwards that their boat had not taken on any water during the incident.