Emergency correspondents received a call for an emergency boat off Shippan Point in Stamford, Connecticut at around 10:30 a.m. Easter, the Stamford Fire Department said in a statement. Two of the men pulled from the water were unconscious and unresponsive, officials said. Two others were both semi-respondents. A fire truck transported two of the men to an ambulance waiting ashore in Darien. A Stamford firefighter and a Stamford police boat were carrying one of the injured Stamford EMS ambulance boatmen waiting at West Beach in Stamford. Three of the men were taken to Stamford Hospital. The fourth victim was taken to Norwalk Hospital. A man has been pronounced dead at Stamford Hospital “after lengthy rescue efforts,” officials said. A second victim was found dead, officials said, although it was unclear at which hospital. Initial reports said three people were unable to return to shore in their 12-foot boat due to northwest winds and 3-4 ‘rough swells. Tides and winds were still blowing the boat offshore when the last mobile phone call was made to a family member by one of the passengers, officials said. The first responders found it difficult to determine the exact location of the boat due to a language barrier and conflicting reports about the location of the boat. Staff at the Stamford Emergency Communication Center were able to locate the boat’s last phone call using 911 cellular surveillance software and deploy 5 marine lifeboats in the area. Once in the area, correspondents located debris believed to be from the boat as well as the four men in the water. Rescue funds were sent from the Darien Police Department, the Norrotton Fire Department in Darien, the Greenwich Police Department and the United States Coast Guard to assist in the rescue effort. The investigation is being conducted by the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Conservation Police.
