1 dead, 7 injured when boat crashes into rocky Connecticut shoreline

PORTLAND, Ct. — One person died and seven others were injured, one critically, after a boat crashed Sunday afternoon on the Connecticut River.

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The crash, which was reported shortly before 5 p.m. EDT, is being investigated by the Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police, The Middletown Press reported.

Portland Fire Department Chief Robert Shea confirmed to the newspaper that first responders found multiple victims in the water and on the rocks along the shore near the fairgrounds on Main Street.

According to WVIT, the single-vessel crash occurred just north of Petzold’s Marina.

All eight occupants, including two minors between the ages of 6 and 12, were ejected from the boat, the TV station reported.

“The boat collided with the shoreline. We’re still investigating how that happened,” DEEP EnCon Police Captain Keith Williams told WVIT, confirming that one man was pronounced dead at the scene and one woman is listed in critical condition. The other six passengers were transported for medical treatment, but the extent of their injuries was not immediately known.

“What we know so far is they were heading north on the river. We’re not sure as to what caused the operator to lose control of the helm. But from what we understand, he lost control of the helm, of the wheel, for some reason. It’s all under investigation right now. The boat veered off course and made a direct shot for the shoreline and went probably 50 or so feet along the rocky shoreline,” Williams told the TV station.

Meanwhile, DEEP officials said investigators do not believe alcohol was a factor in the crash and confirmed that they are unsure if the injured boaters were wearing life jackets when the vessel ran ashore, WVIT reported.

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