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Romney, Sons Rescue Boaters

Craft Starting Taking On Water Saturday

POSTED: 7:12 am EDT July 7, 2003
UPDATED: 7:48 pm EDT July 7, 2003

Gov. Mitt Romney, vacationing on Lake Winnipesauke in Wolfeboro, unexpectedly made headlines Saturday night. With the help of two of his sons, Josh and Craig, the Bay State's chief executive saved a family of six and their dog when their boat sank.

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Newscenter 5's Janet Wu reported that it was dusk in on Saturday night when, while picking up children's toys on the beach, the Romneys heard screams and Craig, 22, saw bobbing heads about 400 yards off the coastline.

"Rescuers, including the Romney family, assisted in helping the stranded family get back to shore safely. There were no injuries," N.H. Marine Patrol Sgt. Crystal McLain said.

"We jumped on the jet-ski and went out there. My dad was on one and me and Craig were on the other. We found six people, three women and three men, floating in the water. Their boat had just sunk," Josh Romney said.

The 19-foot boat was recovered from the bottom of the lake on Monday. The rescued family refused all comments.

The Romney boys said their father was the man of action.

"My dad pulled two of them onto his boat and ferried them back and forth to shore while Craig and I waited with the others in the water. Boats kept coming by so it was kind of dangerous, we worried that they might have been hit by a boat, unable to be seen," Josh Romney said.

"At that time, they gathered their things and we gave them some towels. We put them on our regular boat and took them to their home. They have a boathouse and a house on the lake. At that point, I introduced myself to them and they said, 'Yeah, we know who you are,'" Mitt Romney said.

This was not the first time Romney made a rescue on the lake. Several years ago, he rescued kayakers who got caught in the currents in their attempt to get back to shore.

Romney insists he is not a hero, but his neighbors disagree.

"You could say he was a hero. He was doing what anybody would do," neighbor Helene Pierce said.

Romney never met the family before Saturday and knows little about them.

"I don't know their party affiliation. I didn't ask. We rescue all parties here," Mitt Romney said.

The family rescued, the Morrisseys, are from New Jersey and, like the Romneys, have a summer home on the lake. They are publicity shy and have been adamant in not talking to the press.

The Romney family will spend another week at their home in Wolfeboro -- a week they hope will be a bit quieter.

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