Family Rescued from Burning Boat, Swims to Safety on Remote Island

In a dramatic rescue, a family of three was saved from a small island off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, after their boat caught fire while they were sleeping. The incident occurred on October 22, 2025, when the Sullivans' 30-foot boat, the Third Wave, caught fire, forcing the family to swim to the nearby Naushon Island for safety.

The family was missing for almost two days before being located by volunteers from the Naushon Trust, the organization that owns the island. The Sullivans had taken shelter in a barn on the island and were found in need of emergency medical attention. The Coast Guard later transported the family to nearby hospitals, where they were treated for smoke inhalation, burns, and exposure.

Two of the family members, Cynthia and Tyler Sullivan, are being treated at Cape Cod Hospital, while Patrick Sullivan, Cynthia's husband and Tyler's father, was flown to the burn unit at Brigham and Women's Hospital in critical condition. Tyler sustained third-degree burns on his arm but remains in stable condition.

The quick thinking and preparedness of the family, as well as the prompt response from the Coast Guard and local volunteers, were credited with saving their lives. The Sullivans had planned to remain anchored between Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard throughout the weekend, but their boat, the Third Wave, departed Eel Pond near Falmouth, Massachusetts, on October 17, 2025.