Missing boy rescued from Massachusetts swamp by police, K9 named "Meatball"
Police officers and a K9 named Meatball helped track down a missing boy who was stuck in a Massachusetts swamp Friday night.
The 7-year-old was reported missing from his Merrimac home on East Main Street just after 7:30 p.m., and that's when an "intensive search" began involving first responders from Merrimac and Amesbury, police said.
Police said three officers and K9 Meatball found the boy 1.3 miles away from home "in a swampy marsh, waist-deep in water and unable to move out of the mud," authorities said. The officers were able to pull him out of the mud, and made their way out of the woods with the help of drone units.
"Had this child not been located this quickly, I fear our community might have faced a tragic outcome," Merrimac Police Chief Eric Shears said in a statement.
The boy was taken to a local hospital for evaluation and released, and his mother said he is doing well now.
K9 Meatball helps track down missing Merrimac boy
Amesbury Police Chief Craig Bailey praised the first responders and the K9 team for finding the boy quickly.
"We train together for moments such as this hoping we would never need to answer this type of call," Bailey said. "Ultimately, Officer Nichols' track with K-9 Meatball and the support during the track by Officer Hewey and Officer Ryan DeVaney led to this positive outcome."
K9 Meatball, who is partnered with officer Tommy Nichols, turned 5 years old in January. He joined the force in 2022 and is the offspring of Amesbury patrol K9 Achilles.
On behalf of Chief Craig Bailey and the entire APD team, please help us in congratulating Officer Thomas Nichols and K-9... Posted by Amesbury Police Department (OFFICIAL) on Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Chief Bailey previously told The Newburyport News that it was Nichols' family that gave Meatball his unique name.
"When we learned his name, it was a hit," Bailey told the newspaper.
Last month, a police K9 in Milford jumped into a stream to rescue a missing 8-year-old boy who was found clinging to a tree.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
A disabled veteran is accusing a Holyoke city councilor of taking his home. Did he?
SPRINGFIELD — George Golderesi's Springfield house sold to a new owner in February. It took him six weeks to find out. He said he believed a contractor hired to repair damage from a July 2024 fire was moving ahead with renovations so that Golderesi, a disabled veteran in his 50s, could return home. David K. Bartley, a Holyoke attorney and City Council member, orchestrated a sale of Golderesi's Pinta Circle home. Golderesi says he did not want to sell — and wasn't told someone else owned his home for more than a month. Bartley says that while the situation was unusual, he acted properly. 'There's nothing nefarious, immoral or illegal that happened,' Bartley said. 'I've never committed fraud in my life.' It took nearly two months for Golderesi to see any money from the sale — and only after a different attorney he had hired pressed Bartley for answers. That new attorney, John Tatoian, was so concerned about the transaction that he said he reported Bartley to the state Board of Bar Overseers, alleging misconduct. Golderesi said he was misled and cheated. Bartley concedes Golderesi was not told for more than a month that the property was no longer his. 'So that's, I'll agree with you, that's not a great look,' Bartley said. 'Was this done perfectly? No. Sometimes that happens in real estate.' Further, Bartley conceded to The Republican that the deed document he signed on Golderesi's behalf was purposefully incorrect — saying the property was sold to a private trust for $285,000, when in fact no money was exchanged. The story of the sale of 35 Pinta Circe is tangled and disputed. The Republican reached most of the key players in the situation who made their cases, and examined a paper trail of deeds and other legal documents for this report. Let's go back to the beginning. In May 2020, Golderesi purchased a three-bedroom home in East Springfield for about $250,000. A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs program helped him buy the house, he said. Last year, he put it on the market, but decided he was not ready to sell. In July 2024, a fire broke out at the house. The city fire department responded and investigated but never determined a cause. Because of damage, including a missing window, open ceiling and damaged electrical outlets, the city condemned the building; only construction workers were allowed inside to bring it back up to code. Golderesi said that at a neighbor's recommendation, he hired Worthington Construction, a company run by Anthony Matos, to repair fire damage. Both Bartley and Golderesi agreed that Matos, the owner of Worthington Construction, brought them together. On Aug. 5, Golderesi signed a limited durable power of attorney giving Bartley the power to 'do all things necessary' related to the property at 35 Pinta Circle. Bartley said it would violate attorney-client privilege to disclose why the document was needed, but he says Golderesi wanted to sell the house. Golderesi said he told Bartley he suffered from a brain injury and didn't want to sign the papers without his personal care assistant, Julia Stratton, who also often lives with him. She was out of town. Golderesi said he was concerned if he didn't sign the paperwork, it would delay the rehab of his house. So he signed them, but told The Republican that he didn't understand what the papers meant. If he had understood it was a power of attorney form, 'I would have never signed it,' he said. 'That's completely untruthful,' Bartley said. He said Golderesi knew what he was signing. At times during initial interviews with The Republican, Bartley said he was limited as to what he could say because of attorney-client privilege, which protects communication between a lawyer and client. At The Republican's suggestion, Golderesi wrote and signed an agreement allowing Bartley to speak freely about him and the property on Pinta Circle. More than 20 years ago, Matos was one of many people in the city arrested for involvement in a land-flipping scheme that involved derelict properties and low-income people. In 2006, Matos pled guilty to wire fraud charges and spent years in prison. Authorities estimated that the scheme cheated banks and homebuyers of $15 million, a Springfield Republican article at the time said. Matos said he was young then, has changed and has not been in legal trouble since. 'This guy hired me to do the work and fix the damage that the insurance company paid for and that's what I did,' Matos said. But he has had trouble in civil court in recent years. A construction supply company sued Matos and his company last year alleging he purchased supplies on credit that remained unpaid. Matos didn't respond to the lawsuit and the court issued a judgement of $44,000 against him in November. Today, a separate lawsuit against his company remains in arbitration. A Springfield woman alleges that after a fire destroyed her house on Prospect Street in 2022, she hired Matos to rebuild it. She paid $400,000, which she alleges he urged her pay in cash. The house was not finished by the contracted deadline, the lawsuit claims. 'The only services rendered to date consist of rough framing and a roof,' says the complaint, filed in May 2023. The plaintiff was stuck living in a studio apartment with her two sons. In his legal response, Matos admits the woman paid him but denies her allegations. Earlier this year, in a third lawsuit, the court issued a $20,000 judgement against him after a building supply company sued over unpaid debts. The same day Golderesi signed the power of attorney form, he also signed a purchase and sale agreement for his house. He said it was one of the documents he didn't understand. The agreement stipulated a contract to sell the property to an entity called Empire One Investments LLC, or that company's designee, for $285,000. In corporate filings with the state, Bartley is listed as the secretary and a director of Empire One Investments. When first asked about the extent of his involvement in the Empire One, Bartley said the company's mail just comes to his office. Soon after, Bartley ended the phone conversation with a reporter. Bartley called The Republican back that afternoon. 'I just didn't recall it,' he said of being identified in official state paperwork as a director of the company. He insisted that his involvement in the company — whose president is listed as John Friberg Jr. — is limited. 'This is a case where I was asked to help out clients and I did it to the best of my ability,' Bartley said. 'I can assure you I made no money on this. It was not nefarious.' The purchase and sale agreement also lists Bartley as the buyer's attorney. He said he isn't sure if there were ethical issues for an attorney to be on both ends of the deal. 'I guess I'll leave that for somebody smarter than me,' Bartley said. 'I'd have to think about that one. That's a fair question.' An attorney can represent both sides of a property transaction if there is consent from both parties, according to Jeremy Paul, a professor and former dean at Northeastern University School of Law. After the fire left 35 Pinta Circle condemned, Golderesi and Stratton said they bounced around hotels while waiting for the contractors to finish their work. They said they expected to move back into the house. In February, when repairs were complete, the city lifted the condemnation and filed court paperwork to dismiss the case. Housing court records show that after the power of attorney form was signed, Bartley signed court documents on Golderesi's behalf. Ten days after the housing court case was cleared, the property changed hands, at least on paper. Bartley signed a quitclaim deed — a simple document that transfers property between parties — on behalf of Golderesi as his power of attorney, purportedly selling the house for $285,000 to 35 Pinta Circle Realty Trust. It was notarized by Marc J. Hickey. In a text message to Tatoian, Bartley said Hickey was his assistant. When The Republican asked Bartley, he said Hickey has never worked for him and is a friend. Efforts to reach Hickey were not successful. Jason Vazquez is listed on the deed as the sole trustee of 35 Pinta Circle Realty Trust. A document filed with the Hampden County Registry of Deeds says he has authorization to buy and sell properties for the trust and its beneficiaries. He could not be located for an interview. The purchase and sale agreement Golderesi signed in August 2024 was to sell to Empire or its designee, and the trust is the designee, Bartley said. Bartley said he doesn't 'to my knowledge' believe he is involved in the private trust. Golderesi was not notified about the sale, Bartley said. 'First of all, George never reached out to me.' He said George was 'completely incommunicado.' But, Golderesi had been in touch with the contractor. Texts between him and Matos show that Golderesi had contacted Matos in January and late February, both before and after the sale. The Republican reviewed those messages. In late March, Golderesi said he believed his home was still being fixed and he went to the house looking for mail, he said. He noticed someone inside and called the police to report a break-in. 'Caller states he hears a female voice inside his house,' the 911 narrative reads. 'Caller is outside … states whoever it is turned the lights off.' A police spokesperson said an officer responded to the call, but no formal report was filed about it. Stratton, Golderesi's personal care assistant, said she went in search of answers. She called the city water department to check on the status of the property's account and was told it was no longer in Golderesi's name — and that the property had sold. 'It was devastating,' she said. Once he learned it had been sold, Golderesi hired Tatoian, the attorney, who contacted Bartley in April. After hearing from Tatoian, Bartley sent Tatoian a settlement statement signed in February that summarizes the purported finances of the sale. Tatoian provided a copy of the document to The Republican. The document, signed by Bartley on Golderesi's behalf, said Golderesi was owed $43,000. In the years Golderesi owned it, he built up equity in the property. The document also said that the mortgage was paid. That was not true. Tatoian said he spoke with Golderesi's lender, Navy Federal Credit Union, which told him the mortgage had not been paid off. The bank did not respond to The Republican's requests for comment. Tatoian said the numbers on the settlement were incorrect. 'He's right,' Bartley said. 'I agree with him.' Bartley said the mortgage was not paid off then for valid business reasons. After Tatoian spoke with Bartley, Golderesi was paid back about $40,000. By late April, Golderesi was released from his mortgage with the credit union, documentation filed with the Hampden County Registry of Deeds shows. The quitclaim deed filed in February allegedly without Golderesi's knowledge said that the property was transferred for $285,000. When The Republican first asked Bartley where the $285,000 went in the nearly two-month period between the property transfer in February and April when Tatoian got involved, Bartley declined to comment. About a week later, when pressed, Bartley said that no money was paid. 'There was no money transferred whatsoever,' Bartley said. That's despite the deed saying it was transferred for $285,000 to a trust, and an addendum on the document that said Bartley swore to the notary it was accurate. Bartley told The Republican that the plan was to sell the house and that the contractor and Empire One Investments would be the ones to benefit from it. Bartley insisted he would not reap any of that profit and that he often works with house flippers. Bartley said after selling the house to an outside party, the mortgage and Golderesi would be paid. The plan went awry when they didn't immediately find a third party to buy it. Bartley made those comments in late May after The Republican had spoken to Matos earlier in the month. The Republican tried several times to follow-up with Matos to ask about the plan Bartley laid out, and he had not responded as of Friday. 'In a best practice world it would have been one step after the other,' Bartley said with a sigh, 'except all this stuff moved too fast and here we are. This is an unusual situation for me.' Bartley said he executed a quitclaim deed transfer once the house was no longer condemned to get the property out of Golderesi's control. 'It was my opinion he wasn't in a great position to hold on to any money,' Bartley said of Golderesi. He declined to elaborate. Bartley said he didn't want to list the sale for $1, because he worried it would 'raise an alarm for the third-party buyer.' So he signed the quitclaim deed for $285,000. That was the amount listed on the purchase and sale agreement signed in early August, one of the documents Golderesi says he didn't understand. After being confronted by Tatoian, Bartley said he personally paid Golderesi and settled his mortgage, and will be made whole when a third party buys the property. 'The real loser of this has been me,' he said. Golderesi was paid on April 11, Tatoian said. On April 14, the house was transferred to another private trust — Pinta Empire Realty Trust — for $305,000. The trustee is listed as Jenal Rentas. Rentas owns Extremely Clean Construction and Design, a Springfield-based business that does home improvement, construction and remodeling. Rentas said he was a manager of the trust. 'I know nothing, I'm just a manager on the account,' he said in early June. 'I can't disclose any information.' He told The Republican to contact Matos, who has not responded to follow-up inquiries. When asked about the price listed on the quitclaim deed – $305,000 – and who owns the property now, Rentas said he didn't know and hung up. When property is transferred to or from a trust, those involved usually file a document that certifies a trustee, essentially someone who manages the trust, said Laura Marino, Land Court technical assistant at the Hampden County Registry of Deeds. 'Trusts are not required to be recorded with our office,' Marino said in an email. 'Many people do not record Trusts because they want the terms to remain private.' Tatoian said he submitted a complaint last month to the Massachusetts Board of Bar Overseers about Bartley's conduct, accusing him of violating the state's rules of professional conduct for attorneys and a federal law on making false statements. Bartley has long been the Ward 3 city councilor. He has not yet taken out papers to run again for office in the fall. The deadline to return nomination papers is July 29. Several other people took out papers to run in his ward. Tatoian said he was recently notified by the Board of Bar Overseers that it was investigating. Bartley said he had no knowledge of any inquiry. A spokesperson for the board said that by law, it can't comment on any complaints unless an investigation yields a public proceeding and discipline. Bartley remains listed on the bar's website as an active attorney with no public discipline. Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Town employees placed on leave after racist remarks heard on Lynnfield High School grad. livestream
An unknown number of town employees of Lynnfield have been placed on administrative leave after racist language was heard during a livestream of the Lynnfield High School graduation on Friday. In a statement released by Town Administrator Robert J. Dolan and Assistant Town Administrator Robert E. Curtin, they said: At 7 p.m. this evening I was informed that, during a live streaming of the Lynnfield High School graduation, town employees were overheard using inappropriate and racist words. This video and audio feed was seen and heard by people waiting to watch the graduation. The individuals in the video have been identified and I have placed them on administrative leave pending a full investigation of the video and any other evidence. The Select Board, Superintendent of Schools and Police Chief have all been informed of the allegations and we shall begin the investigation immediately. We, as town leaders, stand together in outrage over what has been reported this evening and wish to state emphatically that racist language and behavior has no place in our town and will be dealt with immediately. It is especially regrettable that this incident took place on what is and should be a night to celebrate our incredible seniors. Such incidents, however, must be confronted directly and openly and a full investigation and appropriate action will be taken. Boston 25 has reached out to the Lynnfield Superintendent and Lynnfield School Committee for comment, but has yet to hear back. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Coast Guard suspends search for missing 21-year-old
HONOLULU (KHON2) — The U.S. Coast Guard suspended their search for a missing woman on June 6. Khilye Hamadani, 21, was last seen at Daniel K. Inouye Internation Airport on the night of June 2. In total, search crews looked for Hamadani over 1,200 square miles and for over 100 combined hours. Coast Guard searching for missing woman, 21 Hamadani's mobile phone was traced to Spitting Cave, her bag was found near China Walls and shoes matching her outfit description were found in the ocean two miles off Waiʻalae Beach Park. 'Suspending a search is one of the most difficult decisions to make and only made after careful consideration of all available information,' Lt. Cmdr. Michelle Rice, search and rescue mission coordinator, said. 'We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Hamadani during this difficult time.' Coast Guard officials began their search on June 3 alongside the Honolulu Fire Department and the Honolulu Ocean Safety Department. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
