HADLEY - Lighting up a 20-foot Christmas Tree that floats on the Connecticut River has been a tradition in Hadley for a long time.

The man who did it passed away in the late 90's, so two neighbors took it over as a tribute. Eventually, one of the neighbors moved to warmer climate and the tradition stopped for seven years.

A Facebook post about the tree got some residents to volunteer to bring back the tradition.

"I get a call saying lets do this, so I was like 'Alright lets do it' and next thing you know we have a crane going in the water, now we are responsible for it and have to take care of it," said Hadley resident, David Boivin. 

Boivin and his friends take gas cans to light the tree every night. Wednesday night they were shocked to see the tree gone.

The snow melting caused the water level to rise, so when a tree came down, it washed down shore. These men decided to save the floating tree that night, even in the 33 degree weather. 

"We launched a 22-foot boat, we went looking for it, we found it, and cut the anchors off and drug it back up here," said Boivin. "For me its just about the spirit of Christmas. I like to do something every year to help someone and this year this was the project I decided on."