Wall Man Dies As Minivan Drives Into Long Island Sound

An 80-year-old Wall Township man died when he drove his minivan off a boat launch in Connecticut Monday afternoon, according to Greenwich Police.

It was about 1:30 p.m. on Monday when Patrick Conroy of Wall drove a 2016 Chrysler Town and Country minivan off the side of the Cos Cob Marina public boat launch into approximately 12 feet of water. Conroy could not free himself from the vehicle, police said.

Police said their preliminary investigation has revealed that Conroy and family members had taken two vehicles to the Cos Cob Marina to launch the family boat onto the Long Island Sound. One of the vehicles was an SUV with the family boat in tow. The other was a minivan operated by Conroy. Conroy’s adult son backed the SUV down the boat ramp while Conroy began to move the minivan into a parking spot, according to police.

Conroy, who was the sole occupant of the minivan, began to perform a three-point turn on the flat driveway leading up to the boat ramp. The minivan then drove nose first off the north side of the ramp and onto the seawall and was temporarily lodged on the rocks, police said. Conroy’s son immediately ran to the minivan and attempted to remove his father, but the vehicle slipped into the water and sank in the waterway between the seawall and the south docks. This narrow waterway within the harbor is about 10 to 12 feet deep at high tide, police said.

Conroy’s son, whose identity was not released by police, dove into the water and attempted to rescue his father and was still in the water upon arrival of the police and fire personnel, police said. A dozen fire and police first responders with limited equipment attempted to rescue the trapped victim. It was not until approximately 10 minutes later and the arrival of the Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department Scuba Team, where they were finally able to extricate the victim, police said.

The victim’s medical care was turned over to Greenwich Emergency Medical Services personnel and Conroy was transported to the Greenwich Hospital where he was pronounced dead a short time later, police said.

Photo courtesy of News 12.