By Justin Muszynski
Hartford Courant
OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. 鈥� A search for two missing people continued Tuesday after a boat crash in Old Saybrook on Monday night left one person dead and six others hospitalized.
Emergency crews responded to the report of a boat crash at 9:15 p.m. and discovered a 鈥渉alf-submerged鈥� motorboat floating near the Harbor One Marina, according to Will Healey, spokesperson for the .
The 31-foot open boat sustained 鈥渟ignificant damage鈥� after hitting the northern end of the 鈥渆ast break wall鈥� at the mouth of the Connecticut River, Healy said.
Officials believe nine adults were on board, some of whom were ejected during the crash. Six people were taken to area hospitals on Monday night.
According to Capt. Keith Williams of DEEP鈥檚 Marine District Headquarters, authorities received multiple 911 calls reporting the crash. Three people were initially reported missing before one of them, a man, was found dead within the vessel, he said.
The search efforts for the two others were suspended at 2:30 a.m. before resuming shortly after 6 a.m.
According to Williams, the operator of the boat was listed in critical condition and one of the victims was released from the hospital late Monday. He did not have additional details about the condition of the other four victims.
At a news briefing Tuesday morning, Williams said crews were in 鈥渟earch and recovery mode.鈥�
鈥淲e always hope for the best,鈥� he said. 鈥淏ut at this point it鈥檚 most likely going to be a recovery.鈥�
The focus of the search was expected to be in the area of the mouth of the Connecticut River, though Williams said that could be expanded based on tides, currents and wind conditions.
The agencies that responded to the crash included DEEP鈥檚 EnCon Police as well as the Coast Guard, Connecticut State Police Dive Unit, Old Saybrook Police Department, Middlesex Health EMTs, LifeStar and the Middletown, Essex, Goshen, Old Saybrook, Old Lyme and Clinton fire departments.
According to Williams, the boat was returning from Block Island. He said the tide was coming in at the time of the crash and that the weather conditions 鈥渨eren鈥檛 bad鈥� beyond it being a little breezy. Authorities did not receive any reports of fog affecting visibility, according to Williams.
While describing the area where the crash occurred, Williams said both jetties at the mouth of the river are only covered by an 鈥渆xtremely high tide.鈥� During a normal high tide there鈥檚 still about 4 or 5 feet of the jetty exposed, he said.
鈥淎 lot of people will try to cut through that jetty and not come through the mouth because it鈥檚 a little quicker,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淚t is shallow out there, but at high tide there鈥檚 plenty of water to go through there.鈥�
The crash occurred not far from where a boat into a break wall last year on Labor Day. That crash was reported at nearly the same time, shortly before 9:30 p.m., and led to four people being taken to the hospital.
According to Williams, it鈥檚 not unusual for boaters who visited Block Island to be returning late at night in the dark, especially over the holiday weekend.
When asked whether he would describe the area as a problem for boaters, Williams said 鈥淣o, I wouldn鈥檛 say that.鈥�
鈥淚t is well marked,鈥� he added. 鈥淎nd again, very early in the stages of the investigation, but we鈥檒l try to figure out the operator鈥檚 experience. And once we get the boat, we鈥檒l look at all kinds of stuff as far as electronics go. But that stuff is usually well marked, the jetties are well marked, and if the navigation equipment on the boat is running it should all be well marked.
鈥淎t night, it鈥檚 a different ball game.鈥�
Williams said it was too early in the investigation to determine if speed or any other factors could have played a role. The focus of authorities on Tuesday was on the extensive search efforts.
Authorities are also looking for any witnesses to the crash or boaters who were in the area with video.
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