NEW LONDON -- The city of New London is getting ready for its 42nd anniversary of Sailfest.
Sailfest is one of Connecticut’s most popular summertime waterfront events, complete with food, drinks, music, fireworks, sightseeing and more.
As the city gets ready to welcome large crowds for the event, the Connecticut State Police Dive Team is making sure everything underwater is safe and sound.
On Thursday, divers conducted a pre-event underwater sweep of City Pier, Customs Pier and Fort Trumbull. Police searched for objects that were out of place or improvised explosive devices.
“We deploy divers to visually inspect the piers and seawalls,” said Trooper Steve Chapman, commander of the team. “We have sonar equipment that we’ll deploy on certain areas also that can help us identify any type of devices or objects that do not belong there.”
In the early afternoon, one of the 12 divers found something that needed to be removed: a crab trap attached to a city pier.
“Today, the clarity of the water is actually pretty good so they have a couple feet of visibility,” said Chapman. “Normally you don’t see anything, it’s just jet black so you have to get very close on your object.”
Dive team members will be on standby for the entirety of Sailfest, from Friday to Sunday, but they want people to know they can feel safe at the event this weekend with plenty of security all over the city.
“It’s safe,” said Chapman. “We’ve checked it!”
Click here to learn more about the event schedule.