1 dead, 7 injured in Connecticut River boating accident

At least one person was killed and seven others injured after a boat crashed on the Connecticut River on Sunday. 

The single-vessel crash took place just north of Petzold’s Marina around 5 pm on Sunday. 

Portland Fire Department Chief Robert Shea told the Middletown Press that first responders arrived at the scene and found multiple victims in the water and on the rocks along the shore. 

All eight occupants were ejected from the boat, TV station WVIT  reported. 

“The boat collided with the shoreline. We’re still investigating how that happened,” DEEP EnCon Police Captain Keith Williams the television station.

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He confirmed that one man was pronounced dead at the scene while a woman is listed in critical condition.

The other six passengers were rushed to a local hospital for medical treatment, but the extent of their injuries was not known.

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Two of the victims were minors between the ages of 6 and 12 and they were taken to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center for treatment.

“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.

“Just be mindful of who you have on your boat because as the operator, you’re responsible for everybody on board. So you just want to make sure you are operating in a safe manner so incidents don’t happen like this,” he continued.

Authorities were unsure if the injured boaters were wearing life jackets when the boat ran ashore.