MA Police Save Man from Water Using Rescue Device Named After Fallen Officer
Worchester Officer Enmanuel Familia lost his life trying to rescue a teen from drowning in 2021, and his family started a foundation to provide rescue floatation devices to officers. One of those, a Manny Tube, was used by police this week in Shrewsbury.
Manny Tubes, named after a Worchester officer who lost his life during a water rescue in 2021, were deployed to save a man this week in Shrewsbury.
Credit:
Shrewsbury Police Department/Manny 267 Foundation
2 min to read
Officers used Manny Tubes, a rescue floatation device named after a fallen officer, during a water rescue Thursday in Shrewsbury, Massachusettes.
Credit:
Shrewsbury Police Department
Police officers in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, rescued a man who was struggling for his life in water temperatures reported to be around 42 degrees and an air temperature of about 40 degrees. One of the rescue devices deployed was a Manny Tube, named for Worcester Officer Enmanuel Familia, who lost his life in 2021 during a water rescue.
At 7:50 a.m. Thursday, a 911 call reported a man missing, and officers responded to the location of a former restaurant. Just after 8 a.m., an officer spotted the missing man in the middle of the lake under the bridge at the Boston Turnpike.
Police said the man was struggling to stay afloat.
From atop the bridge, officers threw floatation devices down to the man and shouted instructions. Officers on the bridge attached a Manny Tube to a rope and tossed it to the man so he could be pulled ashore by three officers on the bank who were assisted by rescue divers from the fire department.
By 8:11 a.m., just 10 minutes after the officer first spotted the man, he was out of the water and receiving medical attention before being transported to an area hospital.
Ad Loading...
Mission: Keep Officers Safe During Water Rescues
Familia, a Worchester officer, lost his life in June 2021 while trying to save a teenager from drowning in an area lake. The officer, 38, was known to be a strong swimmer and, in his younger days, was a lifeguard at the local YMCA where he, as a child, had learned to swim.
Older brother Elvin Familia and other members of the fallen officer’s family founded the Manny 267 Foundation to provide rescue floatation devices and water rescue training to other officers following Familia’s death. The number 267 incorporated into the foundation’s name memorialized the officer's badge number.
The mission to increase officers’ safety during water rescues began with the foundation’s donation of 40-inch-long ExoTube rescue floatation devices, dubbed Manny Tubes, to the Worcester Police Department, with plans to extend the program to other area departments.
The application period for the Folds of Honor scholarship program is now open through the end of March. Scholarships support students from early education through postsecondary studies, easing the financial burden for families who have given so much in service to others.
With GovX verification now integrated directly into the Team Wendy checkout experience, eligible customers can confirm their status in just a few clicks and have the discount applied automatically.
5.11 showcased new apparel and footwear products during SHOT Show 2026, including new color options for the A/T Boa Lite Mid Boot and the Founder’s Jacket.
5.11 launched a variety of new load-bearing gear, ranging from backpacks to chest packs, designed for training, travel, and everyday readiness, this week during SHOT Show 2026.
Built on the proven Halen platform, the new EOTech x Fast Metal Halen Ballistic Spectacle System is the only aluminum frame listed on the U.S. Army’s Authorized Protective Eyewear List.
Two officers were shot in Gainesville, Florida, by a man who police say was leaving an area where he had killed a man inside a business. The suspect exited his vehicle in what the chief termed an “ambush-style” attack.
An Ohio police department has received harassing phone calls and social media messages because it has an officer with the same name as the ICE officer identified in the Minneapolis, Minnesota, officer-involved shooting.
What were the top videos published by POLICE in 2025? Many covered tactics and officer safety, while others came from booth visits at IACP in Denver, Colorado. In case you missed these, here are the top 10 videos.
A new integration partnership will enable Flock Safety hotlist alerts and license plate recognition (LPR) searches directly in Coreforce’s Real-Time Crime Center (RTCC) and Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) platform.
