Two boaters dead and two more remain hospitalized after their vessel capsizes on Long Island Sound: Rescuers say they could not locate the ship at first due to a language barrier
- Authorities received a distress signal off Shippan Point in Stamford, Connecticut around 10:30 am Easter morning, according to the Stamford Fire Department
- Officials said they pulled two unconscious and unresponsive men from the water, alongside another two, who were semi-conscious
- A language barrier and conflicting reports of the boat’s location initially prevented first responders from determining the exact location of the boat
- The vessel was eventually located after Stamford Emergency Communications Center personnel tracked that call by usual 911 cellular tracking software
- The incident is currently under investigation by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Conservation Police
Two men are dead and another pair were hospitalized in critical condition after their boat capsized on the Long Island Sound on Sunday, with rescuers reporting that a language barrier initially prevented them from locating the distressed vessel.
Authorities received a distress signal off Shippan Point in Stamford, Connecticut around 10:30 a.m. Easter morning, according to the Stamford Fire Department.
Officials said they pulled two unconscious and unresponsive men from the water, alongside another two, who were semi-conscious.
None of the four boaters were named as of Sunday night.
Officials said a language barrier and conflicting reports of the boat’s location prevented first responders from determining the exact location of the boat at first.
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Pictured: the location in the Long Island Sound, off Shippan Point in Stamford, Connecticut, where the boat and boaters were eventually located on Easter Sunday
The Long Island Sound, pictured, where two men were killed and another two hospitalized after their boat capsized on Sunday
Two of the men were rushed by fireboat to an ambulance waiting onshore in nearby Darien, while the other two boaters were taken to several Stamford EMS ambulances waiting at West Beach in Stamford.
One victim was taken to Norwalk Hospital, where he was pronounced dead ‘after lengthy life-saving efforts were made,’ while the other three were transported to Stamford Hospital, officials said.
A second boater was later pronounced dead at a still-undisclosed hospital.
The boaters were reportedly unable to return to shore in their 12-foot long vessel because of rough 3-4 foot swells and strong northwesterly winds.
Officials said the boat was still being carried off shore by the wind and tide when one of the boaters made their last cell phone call to a family member prior to the vessel capsizing.
The vessel was eventually located after Stamford Emergency Communications Center personnel tracked that call by usual 911 cellular tracking software.
Authorities deployed five marine rescue boats to the area in response to the incident.
Emergency responders quickly found the four men in the water and debris believed to be from the capsized boat once arriving in the area where the last phone call was tracked.
The surviving boaters were reported to be in critical but stable condition, according to the Stamford Fire Department.
The rescue was a coordinated effort from several local police and fire departments, including Darien, Noroton, Greenwich as well as the US Coast Guard, authorities said.
The incident is currently under investigation by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Conservation Police.