Officials: Beware of roaring Housatonic River
NEW MILFORD — As summer storms continue hitting northwest Connecticut, New Milford officials warn residents to stay away from the roaring Houstatonic River.
In a video posted to Mayor Pete Bass’s Facebook page, 1st Lt. Sean Delaney of Water Witch Hose Company No. 2 and Police Chief Spencer Cerruto stood in front of Bleachery Dam, which is south of downtown New Milford, to discuss safety protocol in light of recent drownings in the area.
The river’s low head dam has a “dangerous re-circulation of water that will trap even the best of swimmers,” Delaney said.
In June, two Danbury men went missing while fishing on Bleachery Dam and were later declared deceased due to accidental drowning. A witness told police they saw one man slip, and the other slipped in, too, when he tried to help.
After this local incident, the police department and Water Witch Hose Company No. 2 reminded people about the river’s dangers and posted public signage in the area that said it was not a place for fishing or swimming.
Other rivers in the state have also proven fatally dangerous this summer.
In mid-July, two teenagers, aged 15 and 17, went missing after visiting a local swimming spot at the Farmington River and were later found deceased. At one point during the five-day search, dangerous river conditions and rising water levels interrupted search and rescue efforts.
A Bridgeport woman was found deceased in a Trumbull river on July 22.
“The river is not for swimming due to powerful currents and undercurrents that can trap you under the water plus the PCBs on the bottom of the river,” Bass’s Facebook post said of the Housatonic.
In the video, Cerruto and Delaney emphasized the fact that the river was not a recreational area, and Cerruto said they would patrol to ensure safety rules were being followed and “cracking down” on trespassers.
The video encouraged people to attend the Lynn Deming Park beach where lifeguards are on duty instead.
“Please enjoy the beauty of the river but do not swim in the river,” the post said.