Episode Transcript
[00:00:16] I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quinsy news update for Friday, July 17. A pilot died yesterday after a small plane crashed into a pond in Plymouth. The fixed wing plane crashed into Curlew Pond on Rocky Pond Road near Plymouth Municipal airport just after 7:30am the aircraft overturned to the water and the pilot became trapped inside. Bystanders said they heard the engine cut out, sputter, then cut out again and then a splash. Several people immediately jumped in kayaks and paddled out to the plane which was about 70ft offshore at the time.
[00:00:54] Police, fire and Good Samaritans were able to reach the aircraft and the pilot was removed from the cockpit. Pilot was taken to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital, Plymouth, where he later died. He is identified as 81 year old Richard Carrera of Kingston. Officials said Carrera was attempting to return to Plymouth Municipal Airport at the time of the crash. Officials said the pilot was the only person on board the plane at the time of the crash. Witnesses said the plane was leaking fuel into the pond. The Plymouth Fire Department placed containment booms around the plane. The pond is located in the Miles Standish State Forest. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are now investigating Nickerson beach in Quincy has been posted as unsafe for swimming due to unsafe bacteria levels in the water.
[00:01:48] Quincy Health Department says the results of tests taken on Wednesday at the beach in Squantum indicate that bacteria levels exceed safe limits. Signs are posted warning people to swim at their own risk. Water at all other Quincy beaches and all of Wollaston beach has tested safe for swimming this week. The weekly beach water testing program continues through Labor Day.
[00:02:12] A tall ship is docked at Marina Bay in Quincy. The Dutch tall ship arrived yesterday afternoon and will be open for free public tours today, tomorrow and Sunday from 10am to 5pm The 164 foot long ship the Osterskelde was built in 1918 and restored several years ago. The ship travels the world and recently participated in the Parade of Sail in Boston for the America 250 celebration.
[00:02:42] After leaving Quincy, the ship will travel to Portsmouth, New Hampshire and then on to Canada.
[00:02:49] A standout will be held in front of the United First Parish Church in Quincy center at 5:30 this afternoon in remembrance of Congressman John Lewis. Work for voter rights and equality for all. The event is being held on the sixth anniversary of Lewis's death and is being sponsored by the Church March Forward Quincy Indivisible and standout Quincy for Black Lives.
[00:03:15] All are welcome to attend the 88th annual Quincy Bay Race Week Regatta hosted by the Wollaston Yacht Club will take place Saturday and Sunday. Spectators can view sailing races from locations along Quincy Shore Drive. You can visit quincybayraceweek.com for more information.
[00:03:38] Bluefish will perform at the Ruth Gordon Amphitheater in quincy tonight from 6 to 8pm as part of the Friends Friday's free shows. The Yacht Rock Band will play soft rock from Holland Oates to Fleetwood Mac.
[00:03:53] Quincy Police Department Children's Bike Safety Rodeo will be held Saturday from 10am to 2pm in the rear parking lot of Quincy High School. The event will feature a bike safety course, bicycle obstacle course and child car seat checks and installations.
[00:04:14] A Summerfest celebration is being held Saturday from 11am to 5pm at General Palmer park on Bicknell street in Germantown. The Community Wellness and Inclusion Fair will feature games, raffles, a dj, food and mental health awareness, substance use disorder education and physical fitness and nutrition information.
[00:04:38] The Kite Crusaders Kiting Caravan will be held on Wollaston beach Sunday from 1 to 4pm Bomba by the Sea will also be held on Sunday at the Tot lot on Quincy shore Drive from 1 to 5pm Massachusetts may soon try to tamp down on the skyrocketing costs of concerts and other events in the state. Governor Healey unveiling a proposal yesterday that included price caps on ticket resales. Under the new proposal, concert tickets that sell for, say, $100 could only be marked up by resellers to $110.
[00:05:19] Fees would also be limited to 10% of that, which in this example is $11 in total. The maximum resale price under this new proposal would be $121. The price cap part of the governor's proposal would not apply to sports tickets. Resale companies like StubHub and SeatGeek said regulations do nothing to slow the rising cost of initial ticket sales. Governor included the ticket resale proposal in a supplemental budget bill. The bill still needs the approval of the Legislature. Spokesperson for House Speaker Ron Mariano said they have not yet reviewed it.
[00:05:59] The New England Aquarium releasing eight more sea turtles off the Cape yesterday. Among the turtles were seven Kemp's Ridleys and one loggerhead. For the past seven months, staff at the Aquarium Sea Turtle Hospital at the Quincy shipyard treated the hypothermic turtles for a variety of life threatening medical conditions, including pneumonia, dehydration and trauma.
[00:06:22] Staff veterinarians cleared the sea turtles to return to Nantucket Sound from West Dennis Beach. Scientists from the aquarium's research arm, the Anderson Cabot center for Ocean Life, worked with the rescue team to tag the turtles for post release monitoring Those tags collect information about the turtle's behavior, habitat use and survivorship, which helps inform sea turtle conservation and protection efforts.
[00:06:49] During the 2025 cold, stunning season, the aquarium treated nearly 500 live sea turtles that were rescued from the shores of Cape Cod from November to December by staff and volunteers with Mass Audubon's Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Getting the turtles back to full health requires a collaborative effort between biologists, veterinarians and researchers. There are still 11 turtles remaining at the Aquarium Quincy facility, which will be released off the cape this summer once they're medically cleared.
[00:07:23] Massachusetts has a new license plate honoring the memories of fallen law enforcement officers. Governor Healy signed legislation this week directing the Registry of Motor Vehicles to offer a blue star families plate for free to family members of law enforcement officers who were killed in the line of duty.
[00:07:43] The RMV is also tasked with creating a blue star family emblem for motorcycle plates. The bill was signed on the eighth anniversary of the death of Weymouth Police Sgt. Michael Chestnut, who was shot and killed with his own service weapon while responding to reports of an erratic driver near South Shore Hospital. The House and Senate unanimously passed the legislation on Monday. John Nelson, legislative director and first vice president of the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, said the law has been in the works for more than a decade. Nelson said the legislative process takes time, and this year families of law enforcement officers reaching out to representatives and senators helped to push the bill onto the governor's desk.
[00:08:29] A check of business news this morning. Stocks are down. The Dow dropped 105. The Nasdaq fell 387. The S&P lost 38.
[00:08:40] World stocks were also lower. The dollar was flat. The euro fell, oil at $85 a barrel and sports. The Red Sox are back in action and hosting Tampa Bay at 1:35 this afternoon.
[00:08:56] Forecast from the National Weather Service today mostly sunny at a high of 83 degrees tonight, partly cloudy and a low around 60.
[00:09:05] Tomorrow. Hazy with some afternoon showers. Rather breezy as well with highs tomorrow in the mid 80s. Sunday sun and clouds high of 82. Sunny 85 on Monday for the boater. Waves about a foot, a west wind at 5 to 10 knots and a high tide at 2:31pm Sunrise 522 sets at 8:17.
[00:09:28] Traffic Note 4 River Bridge scheduled to open today at noon Saturday at 6aM I'm Joe Catalano with an AM Quincy news update for Friday, July 17th.
