Dock Breaks Loose From Glastonbury Marina, Streams Into Middletown

GLASTONBURY, CT — High water levels on the Connecticut River caused a set of docks to break loose from their pilings in Glastonbury and slam into a bridge in Middletown, an an emergency official said.

Heavy periodic rains have been plaguing the area in recent days and weeks and the river has risen to dangerous levels, officials said.

At about 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, a section of dock with nine boats tied up broke loose at a marina on Tryon Street in Glastonbury, just downstream from the historic ferry landing.

The emergency call for the runaway docks actually came into Middletown, because at an estimated 8 to 9 knots in speed, they quickly entered that town's section of the river. The havoc it caused seeped into Thursday.

Middletown Fire Chief Jay Woron said it wasn't the worst situation he's seen in his 27 years at the department, but it wasn't good.

While floating downstream, the docks and boats partially broke loose with some remaining in the channel while passing Dixon Island but others going around the island's opposite side. One of the vessels measured longer than 30 feet, Woron said.

Some of the docks and watercraft even slammed into the base of the Arrigoni Bridge before eventually breaking loose, the chief said.

Private vessels managed to intercept some of them and town them away, but one boat was located as far away as Long island Sound, the chief said.

Debris that included large trees could be seen floating down the river.

Woron said the worse he's seen was water up to Route 9 twice and Thursday's levels "weren't quite there."