One of the men in the boat was able to call a relative from his cell phone before the boat was carried away by the tide and wind, according to SFD. First responders were delayed in finding the exact location of the boat due to conflicting reports of the boat’s last known location, the release said.
Fire dispatchers were ultimately able to use cellular tracking software to determine the last known location of one of the people who made a call from the boat, the release said.
When rescue teams arrived at the location of the last cell phone ping they found debris in the water, which they believed to be from the boat. Amid 3 to 4-foot swells, rescuers found the four men and brought them back to shore, SFD said.
Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection Conservation Police are investigating the incident, according to SFD.