STONINGTON, Conn. — Multiple police and marine agencies responded Saturday morning to a boat accident that turned fatal in the area of Latimer Point in Stonington.
The call first came in around 7:11 a.m. Arriving officers found a boat's center console floating off the Stonington shoreline.
There were two occupants on a boat that collided with a break wall, officials said. Investigators believe the crash happened Friday night. The two men were pronounced dead at the scene, EnCon police said.
The victims were identified as 54-year-old David Motherway of Stonington, CT and 52-year-old Brian Collie of Littleton, CO.
Sgt. Dakota Flis of the Connecticut Environmental Police said the boaters likely could not see out on the dark waters.
"There’s no lights in that area that would have lit it up really well and where they were that Rockwall is very dark there’s rocks along the water it’s kind of hard to see at night so it would be difficult to navigate," said Sgt. Flis.
Libby Cooke, a mother in Stonington, said her son was fishing Saturday morning near where the boat was found.
"I knew that they were going to head off to some and do some tuna fishing and I knew they were getting an early start and woke up to those headlines where there had been a boating incident so yes of course my heart sank," said Cooke.
Cooke said she was able to find her son offshore but the panic she felt served as a reminder of why water safety is so important.
"The not knowing and just knowing boating safety is paramount," said Cooke "It’s important for the safety for the navigation of the tools for the rules of the road."
Police are trying to spread a message after incidents like these as numerous lives have been lost on the water this summer.
"You really have to be careful out there whether it’s the weather or whether it’s night time it’s hard to see where congested waters are out there it really is a dangerous thing there’s not roadways like there are out here where there’s a line dividing to pass it’s not well it lit like it is on the road it’s dark," said Sgt. Flis.
Stonington police, EnCon police, New London Coast Guard, and assets from the New London County Marine Group, including area dive teams, responded to the scene.
The incident is now under investigation by EnCon police. The Office of Chief Medical Examiners Office and States Attorney has been notified.
Anyone with information regarding the accident please contact CT Encon Police at (860) 841-0588.
Lindsey Kane is a reporter at FOX61 News. She can be reached at Lkane@fox61.com. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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