We Explored Gloucester, Mass #2: Hammond Castle

This is the second and final blog of our trip to Gloucester, Massachusetts to visit Hammond Castle. It today's blog, I'll tell you about the castle, the crazy mash up of styles used to build it, some interior highlights and the man who built it.  

WHAT IS HAMMOND CASTLE? With nearly 100 years of history, this medieval-style castle was the creation of famed inventor John Hays Hammond Jr. and now serves as an STEAM-inspired museum that blends history, science, and art. Today, you can tour the castle, attend community events and performances there, or rent it for events and weddings.

A STRANGE MASH OF ARCHITECTURAL STYLES - Because Tom is an architect, the first thing he noticed was that the castle had 5 different styles. To me, a layman, it looked like a mashup! - Because of the different styles, it wasn't linear. Hammond Castle was built between 1926 and 1929 and is said to be a romantic architectural pastiche blending a medieval European castle, a Gothic cathedral, and a Renaissance French village. Designed with the Boston firm Allen & Collens, the structure incorporates authentic 15th-, 16th-, and 18th-century European artifacts salvaged from war-torn and historical sites abroad. 

(3 Photos Inside the Great hall. Credit R.G.) 

BUILDING HIGHLIGHTS 

The Great Hall: A soaring, cathedral-like space dominated by a massive, multi-story pipe organ containing over 8,200 pipes and illuminated by grand medieval stained-glass windows. Most of the pipes are actually for show and are NOT connected to the organ! - The guide told us that the organ was being repaired, but when it's working there are sometimes organ concerts in the Great Hall. 

The Cloister Courtyard: An indoor-outdoor medieval garden area featuring authentic architectural salvage, including a church archway carved from Mount Vesuvius lava rock and facades from old European shops. Within the courtyard, one of the sides of the interior wall was an actual medieval tavern wall from France, brought over and reconstructed. - **WHY? Because when you have untold riches, it's what you do.  

CREEPY SARCOPHOGUSES - There were also three ancient Roman sarcophogus' there. Two of them were for children. They were all empty, though, as the bodies had either deteriorated or the bones were removed.  

  (Photo: The casting of Hercules (left) as discovered in the ruins of Pompeii).

 POMPEII STATUE - One of the ancient artifacts I found particularly interesting was a casting of Hercules, and it was found in Pompeii. 

GHOSTS & WHISPERS IN THE LIBRARY -  Well, there wasn't an actual ghost in the library, but he had a book called "Gallery of Ghosts" by James Reynolds. That caught my eye, so I'm planning on ordering it, if I can find it- since it's at least 75 years old!   Also in the library was a "whisper ceiling" where sound travels cleanly along the curved architecture despite appearing flat, alongside hidden passageways and spiral staircases.

WRAP UP WITH MY FAVORITE ARTIFACT - 

I don't know who this statue is supposed to be, but he's a handsome muscular guy, and he was a highlight. The statue was in the statue was in the Cloister Courtyard, next to one of the sarcophaguses (the white rectangular box shaped stone to the right).  I decided to focus my attention on the statue instead.

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IN CASE YOU WONDERED- WHO IS JOHN HAYS HAMMOND JR? -  (1888 – 1965)  He was an inventor, including being known as the “Father of Radio Control” for his pioneering work in that field. -He is known to have made over 500 inventions during his time, although most are obscure now with the advances in technology. His inventions did lead to tech that is used today in missles and radio controlled toys and vehicles. 

MOST WELL-KNOWN INVENTION - Hammond’s lifetime achievements in radio control would earn him many accolades, including the prestigious Elliott Cresson Medal in 1959, the Franklin Institute’s highest accolade, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ (IEEE) Medal of Honor in 1963.

We Explored Gloucester, Mass #1: Eastern Point Lighthouse

In my quest to see as many lighthouses in New England as possible, we recently took a day trip to Gloucester, Massachusetts to visit Hammond Castle, which you'll read about in the next blog. But today, we'll show you Eastern Point Lighthouse (from a distance) and tell you about it and whether or not it's haunted.

(A zoomed in view of the Eastern Point Lighthouse from our location on the shore)

ITS TOUGH TO GET TO - Because it's on a peninsula that has very limited parking and the lighthouse itself isn't open to the public to tour, we opted for the longer-distance view from Hammond Castle.

(Rob and Tom with Gloucester Bay behind us, where the lighthouse is located)

Eastern Point Lighthouse marks the entrance to Gloucester Harbor and stands as one of Cape Ann’s most iconic maritime landmarks. Originally built in 1832 and still an active aid to navigation, the current lighthouse dates back to 1890 and remains operated by the U.S. Coast Guard.

NOT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC -  Although the lighthouse station is not open to the public, visitors can walk the adjacent Dog Bar Breakwater, a dramatic 2,250-foot granite jetty that extends into the Atlantic. 

(This is actually how far the lighthouse was from us!) 

From the breakwater, it's said you can see sweeping views of Gloucester Harbor on one side and the open ocean on the other, with the Boston skyline visible on clear days.  **But we didn't go to the Breakwater, because we enjoyed the views of Gloucester Harbor from the Hammond Castle, without the parking issues! 

HAUNTED? -Eastern Point Lighthouse is not widely known as a haunted site, though local folklore occasionally links it to phantom footsteps and shadowy figures due to the heavy loss of life in nearby waters. However, there are documented ghost stories, so it's likely not haunted. and people tie in the nearby deaths and assume it's haunted.  

Double Weekend Event! Wadleigh Library - Pets Talk and Monique Book Signing

This weekend was busy for Rob. First there was an interactive talk about how pets communicate from the afterlife at the Wadleigh Memorial Library in Milford, New Hampshire. It was there Rob got to have coffee with his old friend Bill who relocated nearby several years ago. It was also at the library event there was a "deja vu" moment.  Then Rob joined his friend, paranormal co-author and colleague, Monique Toosoon at the Mall of NH in Manchester, NH for her book signing event. Today's blog covers those events.

(Rob with a couple who attended the library event. This was a deja vu moment).

ABOUT THE EVENT - Michelle Sprague, the Adult Services and Reference Librarian contacted Rob months ago after seeing the fundraising lecture he did at the nearby Animal Rescue League of NH, and asked if he could do it in Milford, so it was arranged.  The library is located at 49 Nashua Street, Milford, NH and the website is wadleighlibrary.org.   

Rob's lectures are interactive, and when he discusses signs that pets give us from spirit, he asks people in the audience to share their own story about a particular sign they recognized. There was a lot of acknowledgement, some tears and understanding. People are less likely to hesitate sharing experiences because they are in a room with others who experienced similar things. 

 A DEJA VU MOMENT - Have you ever met someone for the first time, and immediately knew them by sight? It's happened to me a couple of times. The first time was 20 years ago at a wedding when I met a woman sitting at my table, whom I didn't know, but we both felt we had known each other. -It happened again during this event. There was a man and his girlfriend sitting in the front row of the lecture, and I instantly recognized him. However, I never met him before... In THIS life.

  Whenever you meet someone in this life and you don't actually know them, but feel as if you do, it means you met in a previous lifetime.  

   He assured me he never met or spoken with me before, and didn't know me. But I knew him.  

PARACLAUSES VISIT!  Candace and Derick Fedders are known affectionately as the "Paraclauses" because sometimes when they go on paranormal investigations, they dress as Mrs. Claus and Santa. They do that so that if there are child ghosts, they won't be afraid to communicate and it works!  - They're featured in my book "Haunting of Emery Estate." 

BONUS!  SEEING AN OLD FRIEND! - Our friends from Maryland moved to New Hampshire a year before we moved to northern New England, and the library was close to their house. So, our friend Bill met me for coffee before the library event. It was great to catch up.                                           Slideshow- https://www.tiktok.com/@robgutro/photo/7666601680540077342is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

SECOND EVENT OF THE DAY ! -  I stopped by The Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, NH where my amazing co-author Monique Toosoon was signing copies of our "Haunting of " series of books. I had just come from giving a pet in the afterlife talk at a New Hampshire Library.

if you didn't get a chance to drop by either of our events, you can get our books on Amazon. this series takes you through our paranormal investigation from beginning to end and there have been some amazing interactions with ghosts, some of whom we have crossed over!

Karma: Man killed in car crash after threatening people

When people do bad things to others, or threaten to harm them, karma has a way of coming back at those people. This is a very sad and tragic story about how a man threatened people's lives with a gun, then lost his own life later in a car accident of his own doing. The lesson here is be aware that whatever you put out in the universe has a way of coming back.

Man killed in crash accused of threatening people with gun before

WMTW-TV Jun 22, 2026, Russ Reed

CHARLOTTE, Maine — A Maine man who died in a car crash in Washington County is accused of threatening people at a bar with a gun before the fatal crash, according to authorities.

Maine State Police officials said that shortly before 12:50 a.m. Saturday, June 20, 2026, the Washington County Sheriff's Office notified troopers of the crash on Charlotte Road in Charlotte.

A male driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Troopers who investigated the crash learned that the man had been at a bar, where he had reportedly threatened people with a firearm. He fled from the bar before law enforcement officers arrived.

According to police, he was spotted driving a red Chevrolet Corvette at an estimated speed of 150 mph on Route 1 in Calais. Baileyville police attempted to catch up with the car, but were unable to do so.

A Washington County Sheriff's deputy who was on Charlotte Road saw the man's car drive by him at a high rate of speed. Police said the deputy was unable to catch up with the car until the officer came upon the crash scene.

Police said the man was thrown from the car and his body was found a significant distance from the vehicle. Investigators said high speed was the most significant contributor to the crash. State police said the investigation into what happened before the crash is ongoing, and that toxicology results are pending.

The area of Charlotte Road near the crash scene was closed for several hours while troopers documented and investigated the crash.

Heroes of the Week: Taos, New Mexico County Fire and EMS rescued from Taos Rio Grande Gorge

This week's heroes are the Fire and EMS crews from Taos, New Mexico, when they had to drop a rope line into a gorge to rescue a trapped pregnant woman who was hiking. The Rio Grande Gorge, located just 10 miles northwest of Taos, New Mexico, is a dramatic 50-mile-long, 800-foot-deep canyon carved by volcanic activity and the Rio Grande.  

(Photo: Rio Grande River Gorge. Credit:  newmexicoriveradventures.com/)

Woman, 28 weeks pregnant, rescued from Taos Rio Grande Gorge 

By Geoffrey Plant The Taos News

TAOS — Taos County Fire and EMS rescued an injured pregnant woman from a trail in the Rio Grande Gorge on Saturday, when drought conditions in part determined the nature of the rescue.

“What we would be able to do in a normal year is we would be able to float her down in a raft — that would be our easiest option,” said James Hampton, the Taos County fire marshal. “But because the water’s so low this year, we can’t float them down because the raft just basically bottoms out on the river and they have to basically carry the raft the whole way.”

(Photo of the Taos County EMS and Firefighters. Credit: Wesley Foote)

The fastest way for a rescuer to reach her, he said, “was to go over the edge and send a rescuer down on a rope.”

After the rescuer determined the woman had an injured leg and was unable to walk, he said, they made a call: “We’re going to have to bring her up over the side.”

Hampton said the injured woman was on a trail that would have created dangers for anyone trying to carry her out.

The rescue, from dispatch to ambulance, took about six hours. The woman was then taken to Holy Cross Medical Center.

(Video of the Rescue as filmed by Wesley Foote. Taos County Fire and EMS rescued a woman, 28 weeks pregnant, from the Rio Grande Gorge July 4, according to officials, who emphasized the nature of the rescue was partly determined by drought.  SOURCE) 

Officials did not release the name of the woman, who reportedly had been hiking to or from hot springs in the area when she suffered an injury.

Deputy Taos County EMS Director David Varela said the woman, who was 28 weeks pregnant, was expected to make a full recovery.

Hampton said the woman was located by her cellphone’s GPS signal in the gorge, a 600-foot-deep crack in the Earth’s surface that defines the Taos Plateau. Cellphone service is poor or nonexistent in the gorge.

“They had an SOS on their iPhone, and when they sent that, it sent to the Apple Center and then they forwarded that information over,” Hampton said.

“One thing I want to highlight,” he added, “is that the people that were with her, and the injured person, they made the absolute right call: As soon as they recognized they weren’t going to be able to get her out of there, they called 911 immediately.”

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This story first appeared in The Taos News, a sister publication of The Santa Fe New Mexican.

Book of the Week: 5 Stars! The Sigil Murders: A Knight's Chronicle by C.C. Cutts

 Wow. I haven't been this enthusastic about a new book series in a long time. Brand new author C.C. Cutts from the United Kingdom just published his first novel called The Sigil Murders: A Knight's Chronicle, and it's a mystery with some paranormal mixed in, and set in 1889 in York, England!  5 of 5 stars. I really can't wait for his next novel. The characters are fascinating, likeable, and the mystery is gripping. Today's blog is about this incredible book!!

I saw an ad for The Sigil Murders: A Knight's Chronicle come up on Facebook, I think. The cover caught my eye, and so did the title. When I read the book summary I was intrigued and ordered it immediately. I read the entire book in 4 days, which is really fast for me. I carried it everywhere and read what I could when I had a minute. It's THAT good.

The characters are wonderful. Jason Knight is a newspaper reporter in York, and he becomes a contracted investigator of sorts. He's kind to everyone, and has an insider working for him named "Lil Tom." His best friends are Lucy and Tim who manage a tavern. There are also supporting characters in the police force and newspaper, but his love interest, Sarah, helps Jason with his supernatural abilities, and they track down the mysterious murder who leaves sigils on the bodies of his victims.  A sigil is a symbol considered to have magical or symbolic power. 

I'm a medium, paranormal investigator and author, and this author knows the paranormal, how to write captivating characters, and paint the picture of the settings. I also learned quite a bit of "Yorkshire" slang reading the book with the help of a glossary the author included. The slang really made you feel like you were in old York, England. 

I cannot wait for the next in the series. This will leave you wanting more from this author. 

ABOUT THE BOOK: Evil lurks the streets at night, ready to strike down the unsuspecting without mercy to sate its need for bloodlust.

The year is 1889 and a series of strange murders are occurring across York, England.

A killer carves a strange symbol onto the skin of his victims, the meaning of which is unknown and has the local police perplexed and scared.

With nowhere left to turn, they seek out the help of investigative reporter, Jason Knight, known for his ability to help solve the unsolvable.

Unbeknownst to those around him, he has a unique gift that allows him to see events that have happened in the past.

Will these gifts help him solve the murders? Or will they prove to be his burden?

World's largest scorpion prowled UK 415 million years ago

I love prehistoric creatures, but this one is unsettling. I'm not a fan of scorpions, and this recent finding is about the largest (3 foot long!) prehistoric scorpion, who lived 415 million years ago in what is now the United Kingdom.

(Image:  A life reconstruction of the newly named giant scorpion, Praearcturus gigas, in its Early Devonian habitat. (Image credit: © Franz Anthony High Res)

 

World's largest scorpion had 6-inch pincers, and prowled UK land and waters 415 million years ago 

 LIVE SCIENCE, JUNE 5, 2026, Aristos Georgiou

The world's largest known scorpion lived at a time when other land animals were relatively small, around 415 million years ago in what is now the U.K., a new study finds.

The prehistoric creature, named Praearcturus gigas, is estimated to have grown to lengths of around 3.3 feet (1 meter) and was equipped with formidable pincers measuring roughly 6.2 inches (16 centimeters) long, according to a statement from the University of Manchester.

The scorpion would likely have been a fearsome apex predator that stalked floodplains during the Early Devonian Period, when life on land was still in its relatively early stages and dominated by small arthropods. Arthropods are now the most diverse animal group on Earth, as they include insects, crustaceans, scorpions and spiders.

The discovery that such a large scorpion was living 415 million years ago — long before the appearance of complex terrestrial ecosystems, such as forests — offers new insights into the evolutionary history of gigantism in arthropods.

"Confirming that this animal is a scorpion fundamentally changes our understanding of how and when these creatures evolved to such extraordinary sizes," study first author Richard Howard, curator of fossil arthropods at the Natural History Museum, London, said in the statement. 

Researchers initially suspected that the remains represented a large woodlouse-like crustacean. Then in the 1980s, research suggested that the fossils instead belonged to a scorpion. But that interpretation was subsequently challenged due to the fragmentary nature of the known remains and a lack of the characteristic scorpion tail.

In the latest study, published Tuesday (June 2) in the journal Palaeontology, the authors re-examined key P. gigas specimens held in the NHM's collections using modern imaging and analytical techniques. They also compared them with other fossil material and recently described prehistoric animals that were more confidently identified as scorpions.

Their analysis indicated that P. gigas is likely a scorpion, and the team also reassigned several other specimens found in the same geological formation to the species, the study reported. Furthermore, the researchers suggested that the creature may have been at least partially aquatic based on the presence of flap-like structures known as epimera — similar to those which provide support and protection to the hard upper shells of lobsters and crabs — in some of the fossils.

Last Minute Plan #3 of 3: Short Hike at Fort McClary

In the previous two blogs, you learned about Kittery Point, Maine, Pepperell Cove and two more Maine lighthouses! In today's blog, we'll take you to Fort McClary for a short, scenic hike and a little history. 

 (Photo: L to R: Tom, Rob, Albert, George, hiking the trail around the fort).

WHERE IS FORT MCCLARY? - Fort McClary State historic site in Kittery Point, Maine. The fort sits atop a hill facing the mouth of the Piscataqua River. It is a former defensive fortification of the U.S. military located along the southern coast at Kittery Point, Maine.  It was manned during five significant wars including; the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I and World War II.   FOR MY 2024 BLOG ON ITS HISTORY, CLICK HERE.  

THE HIKE - Although we had visited the fort back in July of 2024, we didn't know about the short hiking trail that went around one side of the fort. George pointed it out and led the way through inclines and declines in the woods. It was peaceful and quiet, and every now and then you could look through the trees and see Pepperell Cove.

(Photo: Fort McClary's blockhouse as seen through a small clearing on the hike around one side of the fort. Credit: R.G.)

At one small clearing we could clearly see Fort McClary's Blockhouse. The Blockhouse is a white painted, uniquely designed military structure that sits atop the highest point in the fort. It's 3 stories high, including a basement.  

A RESIDUAL HAUNT INSIDE - When we visited the Fort back in 2024, we went inside the main building. There was no earthbound ghost there, but there was a lot of energy left behind by people who manned the fort. TO READ THAT "RESIDUAL HAUNT" BLOG and see my short video, CLICK HERE. 

Last Minute Plan #2 of 3: Two More Maine Lighthouses!

I love lighthouses. They are beacons of hope and safety, and I've always tried to be like a lighthouse in life to people (Despite those who try to squelch my light, but that's another story). Yesterday, you read about our visit to a nice restaurant and Pepperell Cove, Maine. From Pepperell Cove and nearby Fort McClary, you can see two lighthouses. You'll learn about them today. 

(Photo: Rob zoomed into Portsmouth Harbor Light from Fort McClary)

Last week, you read about the Ram Island Ledge Lighthouse and the Portland Headlight Lighthouse that we visited. Now we've seen two more of the 12 that line the coast of Maine! 

1) PORTSMOUTH HARBOR LIGHT - Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse (also known as Fort Point Lighthouse, New Castle Lighthouse and the Fort Constitution Lighthouse) is located on U.S. Coast Guard Station Portsmouth Harbor in New Castle, NH, adjacent to Fort Constitution. Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse was first established in June 1771, making it the first light station north of Boston in the American colonies. Today’s 48-foot tower was built in 1878. In early 2000s, the American Lighthouse Foundation was issued a license to care for the lighthouse. Although it is on the mainland, Friends of Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouses noted that because of storm damage, the lighthouse is no longer accessible to the public so the only way to see it is from Pepperell Cove or nearby Fort McClary.

(Photo: Rob's zoom pic of Wood Island Light as seen from Fort McClary) 

2) WOOD ISLAND LIGHT - Wood Island Light is Maine's second-oldest lighthouse, established in 1808. Located on a 32-acre uninhabited island off the coast of Biddeford, it features a 47-foot granite tower that emits alternating white and green flashes every 10 seconds to guide ships into Saco Bay.  

(Photo: A closer pic of Wood Island Lighthouse taken from Frisbee's Wharf Restaurant at Pepperell Cove, Kittery Point, Maine. Boat lifts got in the way of the picture.) 

The Friends of Wood Island Lighthouse, offers special tours during the summer of the light tower and keeper’s house. Visitors would be transported by boat to the island and then tour the lighthouse. We learned that the tours are sold out a week or two in advance.

NEXT: A Short Hike at Fort McClary

Last Minute Plan #1 of 3: Great Restaurant and Pepperell Cove, Maine

Last minute plans can make for a great day. We contacted our friends and wound up enjoying a great lunch location with views of a beautiful cove and 2 Lighthouses that were on our list to see, and a short, scenic hike!  That's what today's blog is about. 

                           (Photo: L to R: Albert, Rob, George, Tom) 

NICE RESTAURANT WITH A SCENIC VIEW - On Sunday, July 11th, we talked with our friend George who said he and Albert would love to meet for lunch. We asked for suggestions and he suggested Frisbee's Wharf restaurant on Kittery Point, Maine. Frisbee's Wharf is an outdoor dining experience under a large tent, with panoramic views of one of Southern Maine's Pepperell Cove. Reservations are strongly suggested. Fresh lobster, burgers, steamers, salads, and fish 'n' chips.  **You can even get there by water taxi from nearby Portsmouth, New Hampshire (Portsmouth, NH borders Kittery, Maine). 

ABOUT  PEPPERELL COVE - Pepperrell Cove at Kittery Point, Maine, is a beautiful, well-protected harbor with easy access from the ocean. It was dredged as a mooring field in 1914. There are over 200 moorings in Pepperrell Cove, with a mix of sailboats, powerboats, and commercial fishing boats. From the ocean, the entrance to the Piscataqua River is well marked by lighthouses on either side of the harbor, and land markers to guide you directly into Pepperrell Cove.Along the cove to the south is historic Fort McClary.  

(One of two lighthouses you can see from Pepperell Cove, Maine. This is the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse).

NEXT: Part 2: Two Lighthouses! 

Idiot of the Week: Cuban Man with Chest Tattoo of Trump was Deported Anyway

 This week's idiot is a Cuban man who thought if he got a chest tattoo of the felon's face, he would not be deported. Sadly for him, it didn't work out that way. He's now living in Cuba.  The first part of the blog is from January and the second part is the current situation in June 2026. 

(Photo credit: El Oski showed reporters a tattoo honoring the president, a commitment that took three sessions of about four hours each to complete. Eric Blackerby) 

Cuban Man Who Got Tattoo Of Donald Trump’s Face Now Fears Deportation

January 2026, News Channel 10, Florida

A Cuban man who goes by “El Oski” arrived in the United States in 2019. Instead of receiving parole, he was given I-220A, a status that prevents him from applying for the Cuban Adjustment Act, leaving him stuck in immigration limbo for years.

When Donald Trump won, El Oski believed Trump would help people like him — Cubans who supported him. His faith was so strong that he even tattooed Trump’s face on his chest. But now, he’s afraid. With arrests and deportations increasing, El Oski fears he could be next. (He was).

“I thought Trump was going to help people like me. Cubans who supported him. But now I see what’s happening, and I’m scared of being deported.”

UPDATE: June 2026: El Oski, a Cuban-born podcaster in Miami known for having a large chest tattoo of Donald Trump, was deported back to Cuba. He entered the U.S. in 2019 on an I-220A document rather than formal parole, leaving him in a legal limbo that culminated in his removal under intensified immigration enforcement.

Hero of the Week: Firefighters Rescue Man From a Connecticut River

It's summertime, and that means rescues on the water!  Firefighters from New Haven, Connecticut brought out the boats to rescue a man who apparently fell or jumped from a bridge into a river. One man who lives near the river jumped into action to help, too. 

(Photo: Rescuers pull a man to safety by the Ferry Street bridge. Credit: Ian Christmann Photo

Firefighters Rescue Man From Q River; Kayaker Races To Help, Again

by Laura Glesby, New Haven Independent, July 1, 2026

Rescuers pull a man to safety by the Ferry Street bridge. Credit: Ian Christmann Photo Ian Christmann was working from home on Wednesday afternoon when he and his son heard shouting from the Fair Haven side of the Quinnipiac River.

“We grabbed our binoculars [and] looked out the window,” Christmann said. Behind the fence lining the Quinnipiac River Park seawall, “it looked like someone was holding a jacket over the railing. And there was someone in the water trying to grab on.”

So for the second time in his life, Christmann raced over to his kayak, scooped up a few life jackets, and began to paddle to a person in the river trying to stay afloat.

Christmann launched the kayak from his neighbor’s backyard on the Fair Haven Heights side of the river. By the time he paddled across to the Fair Haven side, by the Ferry Street bridge, the New Haven Fire Department had arrived.

(Photo: Rescuers pull a man to safety by the Ferry Street bridge. Credit: Ian Christmann Photo)

At around 2:30 p.m., the Fire Department deployed 18 firefighters on two rescue boats to reach the man: a larger boat, Marine One, that typically stations in Long Wharf and a smaller boat, Marine Three, that’s located in Fair Haven.

The Fire Department’s Marine Three boat came to the rescue. It was the smaller boat, Marine Three, that was best positioned to navigate the river and reach the man first.

“They did a very good job at executing the rescue,” said Fire Chief Dan Coughlin. He praised Battalion Chief Wayne Vetre, who “made sure he covered all of his bases” by sending two boats with different capabilities to the scene.

According to Coughlin, the man — about 40 years old — had jumped off of the Grand Avenue Bridge. He may have been inebriated or otherwise cognitively impaired, Coughlin said; it wasn’t immediately clear what the circumstances were.

“Once he was in the water, he was having trouble staying afloat,” said Coughlin. “You get some really bad currents in that area.” After he was rescued, according to Coughlin, the man was taken to the hospital for “minor injuries.” Ascertaining that he didn’t need to assist, Christmann documented the rescue in photographs.