Westport Police have identified Charles Lucas, 58, of Franklin Avenue, as the victim of a fatal boating accident following Friday night's fireworks. An emergency call of "man overboard" went out at 10:22 p.m.
According to Lt. Jerry Shannon, the size of the 51-foot motorboat meant it was restricted to negotiating the river's channel. Last night's low tide was at 11:09 p.m. Police are inspecting the boat on Saturday.
It was confirmed that Lucas's son was on the boat at the time of the accident. The operator was given a blood alcohol test as a standard procedure in any accident involving a fatality. The results are not yet available.
When police marine units arrived at the scene on the Saugatuck River, between the Cedar Point Yacht Club and Longshore, Lucas had already been recovered by another small vessel. Two people from that boat were holding onto him, but Lucas was unconscious and unresponsive. The motorboat Lucas was traveling on was still searching for him.
Paramedics pronounced him dead at the Compo Marina. An autopsy on Tuesday, July 6, will determine the exact cause.
The accident is being investigated by the Westport Police Marine Division, Detective Bureau, and officers from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. Shannon couldn't recall any similar boating fatalities within the last 10 years.
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