A group of senior citizens unexpectedly added Mattapoisett to their itinerary on Wednesday when their tour bus broke down and came to a stop at Town Beach.

"I told them, 'this is a good day to spend at the beach!'' said driver John Dixon of Jor-Lin Tour & Charter.

The tour, organized by Nanicoke Senior Center in Seaford, Delaware, set out on Sunday for New England and visited Martha's Vineyard, Cape Cod and Boston. The almost 30 passengers were on their way home Wednesday when black smoke began pouring from their tour bus.

With a max speed of 25 mph, driver John Dixon of Jor-Lin Tour & Charter knew he needed to stop. It just so happened he was at the Mattapoisett exit.

Hearing about the stranded tourists, police officers and firefighters came to the rescue, helping Dixon find a repair shop. Several of the passengers had already begun to explore the Village, so one officer set about rounding up the impromptu explorers to Shipyard Park. He also handed out bottled water.

While Dixon drove slowly to Mattaposiett Truck Equipment another bus was called to start the trip from Delaware to Mattapoisett.

In the meantime, the sightseers were getting a warm welcome.

Harbormaster Jill Simmons chatted with a group sitting at Shipyard Park as did Town Wharf General Store owner Chris Demakis.

Demakis brought over a few gallons of homemade iced tea as well.

Expecting a three to six hour wait, the visitors took the opportunity to walk around, giving a midweek economic boom to Water Street.

At the General Store, Demakis' mother, Jocelyn Demakis-daLuz, was at the register.

"They all came in here. It was great," she said. "They loved the store. One person said, 'I'm so glad we got stuck here and not on the highway.'"

Dot Tonarelli echoed that sentiment.

"As long as there's a store, I'm fine," she said.

As noon approached, many of the folks took advantage of the seaside view and dining at the Inn at Shipyard Park.

Back at the park, tour member Mary Tracy said she was thankful for how well the townspeople had taken care of them.

"One lady said, 'If all else fails, they'd take us to their homes.' I thought that was very kind," said Tracy.

The police officer on the scene checked in on the group and chatted with many of them.

"We try to treat people like family," he said.