'It was traumatic:' Fishermen saved from sinking boat in frigid waters near Boston

A dramatic rescue of three fishermen off the coast of Scituate, Mass., is garnering praise for the crews who went into harm's way.

Within seconds, a 55-foot fishing boat was sinking and three lives were hanging in the balance.

Scituate fire, police and rescue crews arrived to see three men clinging to a plastic tube.

"You could see it in their eyes," said Scituate Fire Chief John Murphy. "They were ready. They were almost done."

Pam Harght was staring out the window from her home in Marshfield and saw the boat in distress. She called 911.

"For my own piece of mind, I am going to call," Harght told NBC Boston. "And if I'm the 10th or 20th caller, at least I know people are coming."

The three were clamming on a 55-foot boat out of Gloucester on Tuesday afternoon when their boat started to sink rapidly.

"Once I hit the deck, phew ... I am saved," said fisherman Joe Roderick. "To be fine one minute, and three minutes later, in the water trying to swim to save your own life, it was traumatic."

In North Carolina, three boats have grounded on beaches at Cape Hatteras in recent days. There were no injuries in each occurrence.