Trending Topics

Video: Patient escapes ambulance, jumps into Mass. lake, causing standoff with police

First responders negotiated with the man in Lake Quinsigamond before taking him into custody

WORCESTER, Mass. — A patient being transported by ambulance in Worcester escaped from the vehicle and jumped into Lake Quinsigamond, triggering an unusual standoff with first responders as authorities worked to bring the person safely back to shore.

WCVB reported it happened as the patient was being transported to UMass Memorial Hospital for mental health treatment. The hospital is just east of the lake.

| READ NEXT: EMS Compact recognizes 400K clinicians as multistate practice reaches all 50 states

Video showed the man swimming and later standing in waist-deep water as first responders negotiated with him from the shoreline.

Authorities eventually took the patient into custody without further incident.

Trending
Think you or someone you know might have measles? Here’s what you need to know
Flint Fire Department becomes one of just 25 to 30 in the nation with active CAAS accreditation, meeting the highest EMS standards about two years after relaunching its ambulance service following a more than 20-year hiatus
Sharon Regional Health System dismissed most employees without secured payroll funding as it suspends patient services amid nearly $20 million in unpaid taxes, liens and loans since Tenor Health reopened it in 2025
Santa Barbara police are investigating a possible link between the race and the hospitalizations, though the event director said medical teams reported nothing unusual beyond typical heat exhaustion and dehydration among the 7,500 registered runners

Bill Carey is the associate editor for FireRescue1.com and EMS1.com. A former Maryland volunteer firefighter, sergeant, and lieutenant, Bill has written for several fire service publications and platforms. His work on firefighter behavioral health garnered a 2014 Neal Award nomination. His ongoing research and writings about line-of-duty death data is frequently cited in articles, presentations, and trainings. Have a news tip? He can be reached at news@lexipol.com.