UPDATE: 24-Year-Old Pulled From Port Harbor Confirmed Dead
Police believe Port Washington resident Peter Dougherty had been kayaking on Saturday; witnesses called 911 after spotting him in the water east of the lighthouse.
Story updated at 9:47 a.m. Sunday
A 24-year-old Port Washington man who was pulled from the Port Harbor around noon on Saturday has died, according to Port Washington Police Chief Kevin Hingiss.
Peter Dougherty was found about 300 yards east of the lighthouse Saturday afternoon. Port Washington Fire Department personnel pulled Dougherty into a rescue craft and administered CPR, according to a press release from the Port Washington Police Department. The man was transported by ambulance to Aurora Medical Center in Grafton, and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The release also states that it appears the man was kayaking and no other people were involved.
Patch's media partner, FOX6 News, says the first report of the incident came in about 11:44 a.m. when four people spotted the man flailing in the water. They called the fire department, which in turn dispatched its boat.
The man was wearing rubber boots when he was pulled out of the water.
An area south of the Port Marina — called South Beach — is popular with kayakers; in the parking lot by South Beach is where police found Dougherty's car with equipment to carry a kayak, FOX6 reports.
He was a kayaking instructor and also a lifeguard. His godmother told Fox 6 that he also was an Eagle Scout that graduated from Port Washington High School in 2006.
The U.S. Coast Guard out of Milwaukee also responded to the scene. They’re using their boat and a helicopter out of Traverse City , MI, to try and make sure the man was in the water alone and there aren’t other people involved, the TV station said.
They’re also trying to find and identify the boat, canoe, or kayak that he may have been in.
There have been other times when people were rescued from the Port Harbor. In July, two boaters were rescued after their boat collided with the breakwall. In September, two young men were saved after clinging to the breakwall for four hours during a fishing trip gone bad.
Patch will continue to provide updates to this story as they become available.
In This article
-
-
City of Port Washington Fire Department
104 W Washington St, Port Washington, WI -
Port Washington Police Department
365 N Wisconsin St, Port Washington, WI
chris
2:30 pm on Saturday, March 10, 2012
That's not a lighthouse it's a pierhead
CatMM
2:38 pm on Saturday, March 10, 2012
A pierhead LIGHTHOUSE. See article from Port Washington Historical Society. 1889-1903
In 1889 Port Washington's first pierhead lighthouse was built. It housed a sixth order fresnel lens and was a red fixed light. he light was exhibited for the first time on the night of September 15, 1889. It was powered by a gasoline generator. The "gas machine" was removed in 1902. At that time the lamps were converted to electricity and the sixth order lens replaced by "improved fifth order lamps." The lighthouse was a pyramidal wooden framework tower with upper portion enclosed. It had a cast iron lantern. Height of tower from base to center of ventilator ball, 42' 11". Focal plane: 36' 2". The tower was built by local contractors under the guidance of the Light-House Superintendent of this district. From September 15, 1889 to October 31, 1903 the lightkeeper, later with the help of an assistant, was responsible for keeping both lights lit. The brick oil house was constructed in 1894. It was built of red brick with a cement roof.
Jayne
3:14 pm on Saturday, March 10, 2012
Referring to him as 'the body' gives a clue as to his condition. Much sympathy to his family and friends.
Rik Kluessendorf
4:33 pm on Saturday, March 10, 2012
One of the first things they taught us in EMT school is that someone isn't dead until they are warm and dead. Just because he was lifeless when rescued does not mean they will stop trying. Nor does it mean he has zero chance. Here is hoping for a miracle.