2 Men Dead, 2 Others In Critical Condition After Water Rescue: SFD

STAMFORD, CT — Two men have died and two others remain in critical condition following a water rescue off Shippan Point in Stamford on Easter Sunday.

Around 10:21 a.m. Sunday, Stamford firefighters, Stamford police and Stamford Emergency Medical Services were alerted to a possible small boat in distress in Long Island Sound near Shippan Point.

Initial information showed that three people in a small 12-foot boat were not able to return to shore due to strong northwesterly winds and rough seas, according to the Stamford Fire Department.

The boat was being carried by the tide and wind away from Stamford when the last cell phone call was made to a family member from one of those onboard the small vessel, said Deputy Chief Matt Palmer of the SFD in a news release.

First responders were hampered in finding the boat's exact location due to a language barrier and conflicting initial reports of the boat's last known location, Palmer said.

Twenty-two Stamford firefighters, Stamford police and EMS responded as part of a marine rescue response, which included the SFD's fire boat and on-duty SCUBA divers.

Additional marine resources were dispatched from the Darien Police Department, Noroton (Darien) Fire Department, the Greenwich Police Department and the United States Coast Guard.

Fire dispatchers at the Stamford Emergency Communication's Center were able to use the caller's cell phone number to access the Carbyne 911 cellular tracking software to pinpoint the last known location of the boat.

The Carbyne software pointed fire and police rescue boats to the correct area, where debris believed to be from the boat was found in the water, the SFD said.

First responders found the four men in three to four foot swells in 40 degree water. The Stamford Police Department said Monday all four were wearing life jackets. Two of the men pulled from the water were unconscious and unresponsive, and the other two were both semi-responsive, the SFD said.

The men were taken to awaiting ambulances — three of them went to Stamford Hospital, the other went to Norwalk Hospital.

Two of the men died after lifesaving efforts were unsuccessful, the SFD said.

The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) Conservation Police are investigating the incident. The boat has not been located, Stamford police said Monday.

"Firstly, we would like to express our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, who are all Guatemalan nationals and Stamford residents. Although, next of kin have been notified, we are not releasing the names until the Guatemalan consulate is advised," Stamford Police posted on social media.