New Haven Register (New Haven, CT)
Three dead, including child, after recent boating accidents in Conn.
Three people have died, including a child, after two separate boating accidents in Connecticut late within the past week, according to public officials.
The incidents, which occurred at opposite ends of the state Friday afternoon and Sunday morning, come after the state saw an uptick in the number of fatal boating incidents during the pandemic.
In 2020, there were five fatal recreational boating accidents in Connecticut, up from one in 2019 and two in 2018, according to national statistics compiled by the U.S. Coast Guard.
On Friday afternoon, authorities were called to Wyassup Lake in North Stonington when a vessel capsized, officials said. The lake sits just north of the town of about 5,000 people in eastern Connecticut.
Officials said four people were on he boat when it overturned. They were hospitalized, but an unidentified child who had been onboard later died.
The second incident was reported around 10:21 a.m. Sunday morning when authorities were notified of a small boat in distress in Long Island Sound off of Shippan Point in Stamford.
Stamford fire officials said the operators of a 12-foot boat were unable to return to shore due to the wind and rough seas.
“The boat was being carried by the tide and wind away from Stamford when the last cell phone call was made to a family member from one of those onboard the small vessel,” the fire department said. “First responders were hampered in determining the exact location of the boat due to a language barrier and conflicting initial reports of the boat's last known location.”
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on Monday released the identities of the two men who died.
Cristofer Cifuentes, 25, and Ludyn Cifuentes, 40, both of New York, died after the boat went down off West Beach on Sunday morning, DEEP Director of Communications Will Healey said in an email.
Stamford Fire Chief Trevor Roach said it was unclear exactly what kind of boat the men were on because by the time fire personnel arrived, the vessel had sunk.
“The only thing sticking above the water were their heads,” the chief said Monday. Roach said equipment showed the water temperature hovered just above 50 degrees. By the time the boat's operators were pulled from the waves, they had hypothermia and
The state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection on Monday released the identities of the two men who died. Cristofer Cifuentes, 25, and Ludyn Cifuentes, 40, both of New York, died after the boat went down off West Beach on Sunday morning, DEEP Director of Communications Will Healey said in an email.
were unable to be interviewed about what had happened, he said.
Roach said the software, Carbyne, allows 911 operators to send a caller a link, which emergency services can then use to get live video from the person's phone, as well GPS data. The location data is able to pinpoint someone to within about 50 meters, he explained “which on the Sound is pretty good.”
DEEP officials said all four men were wearing life jackets. They were transported to local hospitals. Two of the men recovered from the water were pronounced dead at the hospital, officials said.
Roach said this time of year, the department has to rescue a kayaker or other boater at least once a year. About once every other year, the incidents turn fatal.
“People have to remember that even though Long Island Sound may look like a pond, it's not a pond,” Roach said.
He added: “This time of year is really dangerous out there because people don't understand how cold the water is and how quickly that will take your energy away. Once you get offshore – they were a mile offshore – help takes a long time to get to you.”
Safe boating
In Connecticut, operators of motorized boats in most circumstances are required to posses a Safe Boating Certificate. The license is also required to sail larger sailboats that don't have a motor. Operating a personal watercraft requires an additional license as well.
First, boaters going out on the water should always wear a life jacket, also known as a personal flotation device, or PFD. State law requires life jackets to be worn from the beginning of October through the end of May, and children 12 and under are also required to wear a life jacket.
DEEP says if boaters capsize, they should stay with the vessel. In rough water, it's a good idea to kneel in the bottom of the boat for stability, rather than sitting up on the seats.
“Wear proper clothing, including a hat. If you end up in the water, do not remove your clothes. They help you float and protect you against hypothermia,” the agency says.
Among the major causes of accidents, according to DEEP, are improper loading or overloading of a vessel, disregarding weather or water conditions, failure to lookout, capsizing or falling overboard, and people failing to wear a life jacket.