Man Lied About His 99-Year-Old Father Missing in the Water off of Milford: Report

MILFORD, CT — You had the U.S. Coast Guard utilizing a helicopter, Milford firefighters in the water and Milford Police officers all searching furiously for a 99-year-old man, who was reported to have fallen overboard and in water off of Merwin Avenue Wednesday afternoon.

After hours of searching, the 70-year-old man, who called 911 to report that his 99-year-old father was missing in the water, was revealed to have fabricated the story, Fox 61 reports.

Crews stopped searching the water around 9 p.m. after learning the story was not legitimate.

Family members told authorities that the 70-year-old's father had been deceased for some time, a top fire official said. The made-up boating accident was reported around 5:45 p.m. near 91 Merwin Avenue and about 100 yards off shore.

Milford Battalion Chief Anthony Fabrizi said 911 received a call at 5:45 p.m. for a resident reporting a boater in distress. The incident occurred in the waters of Long Island Sound off of an area known as Burwell Beach.

"Milford Fire Rescue Marine units quickly responded and arrived on scene to find a 70 year-old male on board of the small recreational vessel. The man stated that his elderly father had fallen overboard and disappeared below the surface of the water," Fabrizi said.

Additional fire units along with the departments dive team responded to the scene to assist in the intensive search effort. They were joined by the Milford Police Marine Unit/Dive team along with the US Coast Guard Helicopter and Marine units, Fabrizi said.

The 70 year-old male was evaluated on scene by Milford Fire Paramedics and transported to Milford Hospital as a precaution. An extensive search of the area was conducted with nothing found, Fabrizi said.

Milford Police working in conjunction with the Connecticut State Police managed to make contact with the man's family, the fire official said. They concluded that the patient's father had been deceased for many years and was not on the vessel as reported, Fabrizi said. The search was suspended by all agencies based on the information gathered, Fabrizi said.

This is a breaking news story. Check back for additional updates.