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original story: FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Two Fairfield men are dead after a boat capsized Sunday in Long Island Sound near the west breakwall off New Haven, the Coast Guard announced.
A Good Samaritan reported an overturned and damaged vessel at 9:15 a.m. Sunday, the Coast Guard said. A unresponsive individual was also found on the rocks of the breakwall, who was later to be determined as a passenger of the capsized vessel.
Two Coast Guard swimmers were able to recover the 46-year-old unconscious man off the breakwater. He was taken to the hospital, where he later died, according to the Coast Guard.
First responders continued to search Sunday for a second missing man, the boat's owner.
At 8:30 p.m., the Connecticut State Police dive unit located the body of Michael Murphy, 53, near New Haven, the Coast Guard said.
Both of the men were Fairfield residents, West Haven police spokesman Sgt. David Tammaro told the Connecticut Post.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and families of the two men who perished today,” said Capt. Andrew Tucci, commander Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. “We are grateful to the emergency responders who assisted in the search efforts.”
The boat sustained damage to the bow and was overturned near the breakwater, according to NBC Connecticut.
During the nearly 10-hour search effort, Coast Guard crews and local agencies covered 61-square nautical miles.
Assisted in the search were:
- A Coast Guard Station New Haven boatcrew
- A Coast Guard Air Station Cape Cod, HH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew
- West Haven Police Department Marine Unit
- Milford Police Department Dive Unit
- Connecticut State Police
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
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