Kayaker rescued on pond with Charlie Brown cutout

EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (AP) - Massachusetts fire officials have come to the rescue of a capsized kayaker who may have been trying to install a Charlie Brown cutout on a raft that holds a Christmas tree at the center of a pond.

The Daily Hampshire Gazette reports (http://bit.ly/1B93K2I ) that Easthampton firefighters rescued the man at about 8 p.m. Monday as he was clinging to the raft.

Fire Chief David Mottor says a 3-foot-tall cutout depicting the likeness of cartoon character Charlie Brown was found in his kayak.

Mottor says a practical joke isn't worth losing a life. He says the water temperature was in the low 40s, cold enough to cause hypothermia.

Police say the man will likely not be charged.

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Information from: Daily Hampshire Gazette (Northampton, Mass.), http://www.gazettenet.com