AT SIX. AND NEW AT SIX. A KITESURFER RESCUED OFF GRAVES LIGHT AND A CHANCE ENCOUNTER SAVED HIS LIFE. LET’S GET TO NEWSCENTER 5 JOHN ATWATER. HE SPOKE WITH HIM. HE JOINS US LIVE FROM EAST BOSTON RIGHT NOW. JOHN. WELL, ED, YOU KNOW, HE HAS BEEN KITE SURFING AND KITE FOILING FOR TWO DECADES. SO HE KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING. BUT YESTERDAY THE WAVES OUT HERE TURNED DANGEROUS. THIS IS WHAT KITE FOILING LOOKS LIKE WHEN THE SEAS ARE CALM. BUT YESTERDAY THESE BIG SWELLS COURTESY OF HURRICANE ERIN, PUT AN EXPERIENCED KITE FOILER IN DANGER. I WAS GETTING COLD. MY WETSUIT WAS NOT REALLY THICK. FERAS FIROOZABADI RAN INTO TROUBLE OUT NEAR GRAVES LIGHT, EIGHT MILES FROM WHERE HE STARTED IN REVERE. THEN THE SWELLS. BASICALLY THE ROLLERS COMING AND GOING. I THE CLOUD WAS LIKE KIND OF YOU GET DISORIENTED. WITH FEW OPTIONS, FERAS TURNED TO A GIFT HIS WIFE GAVE HIM JUST LAST WEEK. THAT WAS LITERALLY THE REASON WHY I GOT HIM THIS THIS APPLE WATCH FOR HIS BIRTHDAY. HE CALLED 911, BUT ALSO IT SENDS MESSAGES TO YOUR EMERGENCY CONTACT, WHICH WAS MY WIFE AND MY TWO KIDS. THEY KEPT GETTING THE PINGS AND RELAYING HIS LOCATION TO AUTHORITIES. IT WAS JUST ABOUT AN HOUR, HOUR AND A HALF OF JUST PANIC AND NOT KNOWING WHAT TO DO. BUT EVEN BEFORE THE COAST GUARD COULD GET THERE, WE DID GET WITHIN 50 YARDS OF THE KITE THAT WE HAPPEN TO NOTICE. THE SURFER WAS IN THE WATER. MATT COONEY, WHO’S A BOSTON PILOT, SPOTTED FERAS AS HE WAS HEADED OUT IN THIS BOAT TO MEET TWO INBOUND SHIPS. THEY STOP AND SAY, IF YOU NEED HELP, JUST WAVE YOUR HAND. I WAVED AND AND THEY CAME IN AND HE WAS OKAY, JUST TIRED. AND HE WAS. HE WAS KIND OF SHAKING SAFE AND BACK ON LAND. FERAS HAS BEEN DRYING OUT HIS KITE, GRATEFUL FOR THE QUICK SAVE IN ROUGH SURF. I’M VERY THANKFUL, MAN. IT’S JUST LIKE IT’S GOOD TO BE ALIVE AND TELL THE STORY. AND IT IS QUITE A STORY. NOW HE SAYS HE’S GOING TO KEEP KITE SURFING AND KITE FOILING. HE WAS BROUGHT BACK TO LAND HERE IN EAST BOSTON. IT’S A LITTLE CHILLY, A LITTLE TIRED, BUT OTHERWISE.
Kite surfer rescued near lighthouse in Boston Harbor after chance encounter
"It's good to be alive and tell the story," he said.
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Updated: 9:05 AM CDT Aug 23, 2025
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An experienced kite surfer was rescued in Boston Harbor on Thursday after encountering big swells from Hurricane Erin.Faraz Firoozabadi found himself in trouble out near the lighthouse at Graves Light, about 8 miles from where he started in Revere. He said that he became disoriented by the waves and the clouds. "I was getting cold. My wetsuit was not really thick," he said. Firoozabadi used his Apple Watch, a birthday gift received from his wife last week, to call 911 and trigger emergency messages to his family. They relayed his position to the authorities."It was about an hour, hour-and-a-half of panic, not knowing what to do," his wife, Farnaz Haghseta, said.Before the Coast Guard could arrive, Capt. Matt Cooney, a Boston Pilot, spotted Firoozabadi while heading out in his boat to meet two inbound ships."We did get within 50 yards of the kite, and we noticed the surfer in the water," Cooney said.Firoozabadi waved for help, and Cooney and his crew came to his aid."He was OK — just tired, shaking when he came aboard," Cooney said.Back on land, Firoozabadi expressed his gratitude for the rescue and has been drying out his kite."I'm very thankful," Firoozabadi said. "It's good to be alive and tell the story."
An experienced kite surfer was rescued in Boston Harbor on Thursday after encountering big swells from Hurricane Erin.
Faraz Firoozabadi found himself in trouble out near the lighthouse at Graves Light, about 8 miles from where he started in Revere. He said that he became disoriented by the waves and the clouds.
"I was getting cold. My wetsuit was not really thick," he said.
Firoozabadi used his Apple Watch, a birthday gift received from his wife last week, to call 911 and trigger emergency messages to his family. They relayed his position to the authorities.
"It was about an hour, hour-and-a-half of panic, not knowing what to do," his wife, Farnaz Haghseta, said.
Before the Coast Guard could arrive, Capt. Matt Cooney, a Boston Pilot, spotted Firoozabadi while heading out in his boat to meet two inbound ships.
"We did get within 50 yards of the kite, and we noticed the surfer in the water," Cooney said.
Firoozabadi waved for help, and Cooney and his crew came to his aid.
"He was OK — just tired, shaking when he came aboard," Cooney said.
Back on land, Firoozabadi expressed his gratitude for the rescue and has been drying out his kite.
"I'm very thankful," Firoozabadi said. "It's good to be alive and tell the story."
