Boating Victim Was Greenwich HS Junior from Old Greenwich

The victim of the fatal boat accident off the Greenwich coast on Wednesday has been identified as 16-year-old Emily Fedorko of Old Greenwich, according to Greenwich Police.

The rising Greenwich High School junior was with three classmates aboard a privately-owned 21 foot , Wahoo center console recreational powerboat with a 200 horsepower outboard engine. The quartet were tubing — using a tether to pull a large inner tube across the water.

At a press conference at Greenwich Police headquarters, spokesman Lt. Kraig Gray said, “At some time between 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., the two girls were dislodged from their tube. The operator of the boat made a turn to pick up the tubers when the boat collided with the two girls in the water. The girls in the water were then injured by the propeller of the outboard engine. One girl sustained a significant soft tissue but non-life threatening injury to her left lower leg. The second girl sustained a fatal injury to her torso area dying at the scene.”

The operator of the boat and the passenger immediately rendered aid to the victims. Lifting them into the boat, they immediately transported them to the Old Greenwich Yacht Club dock located at the Greenwich Point Park, police said. The accident took place between 1 and 2 miles from dock on the open waters of Captains Harbor on the Long Island Sound.

The Boating Accident Reconstruction team from the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police (EnCon) have the boat at their facility in Old Lyme where they will begin analyzing the boat, the equipment on the boat, the engine as well as try to determine how the accident occurred, said EnCon Capt. Raul Camejo. Camejo said his officers also will pinpoint the exact location of the accident and determine whether there is a need to reenact the accident. The investigation could take up to six months, he said.

Greenwich School Superintendent William McKersie said a crisis team comprised of 20 school counselors as well as psychologists has been assembled to render assistance to the victims’ families, students and the community at large. Counseling service will be available again Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at both Greenwich High School and Eastern Middle School. McKersie said several private agencies also offered their services including Kids in Crisis, Center for Hope, the Den for Grieving Children and the Family Child Guidance Center.

Earlier on Thursday, the Greenwich Board of Selectmen held a moment of silence in honor of Fedorko’s memory. First Selectman Peter Tesei said “this is a profoundly sad day in Greenwich.”

Police Chief James Heavey said that the 16-year-old boat operator had a Connecticut safe boating certificate that allowed her to operate any recreational vessel. He said police will not release the identities of those onboard or the registered boat owner.

“Part of the investigation is to determine what occurred prior to the accident, during the accident after the accident,” as well as how long the girls were out on the water, Heavey said. He also would not say whether the girls were wearing personal flotation devices.

Heavey said that when the girls returned to the Old Greenwich Yacht Club they were met by emergency first-responders. “They found conditions not consistent with life and were unable to attempt any resuscitation or life-saving efforts,” Heavey said. An autopsy will be performed by the Chief State Medical Examiner to determine the exact cause of death.

The other victim, underwent surgery at Stamford Hospital to repair a severe laceration to her left leg, officials said.

McKersie described Emily “as someone very active in a variety of ways, loved by her peers, loved by her teachers and others — as the story unfolds, as good as to who this young girl is, the tragedy is even deeper. An incredible loss.” He added, “What we have to do, given the spirit Emily had, is build forward for the other three girls involved, build forward for anyone else … that is the spirit of Emily we have to carry forward.”

Emily’s family was very involved in the Greenwich school community, McKersie said.

The Greenwich High School Student Body President wrote on his Facebook page late Wednesday, “As many of you know, Emily Fedorko passed away in a boating accident this afternoon. However, the past has shown us that Greenwich High School can come back from tragedy, stronger as a school community. We must come together as one student body and learn to appreciate one and other because as we learned today, for the second time in a year: life is short. While I did not have the pleasure of knowing Emily, my thoughts and prayers go out to her family and the (other victim’s) family during this difficult time.”

Photo: Emily Fedorko from her Facebook page.