One person is dead and two people are reported missing with multiple injuries in what authorities are describing as a “major marine incident” that has caused “mass casualties” in Connecticut, officials said.
The North Madison Volunteer Fire Department says the three people reported missing are not wearing life jackets and that several personnel and ambulances from the towns surrounding Old Saybrook, where the incident is currently underway, are assisting with the operation.
Authorities responded to the boating accident at approximately 9:15 p.m. Monday night and discovered a single motorboat floating, half-submerged, near Harbor One Marina in Old Saybrook. There was significant damage to the boat, which struck the east-facing jetty at the mouth of the Connecticut River.
A total of nine people were on board the boat. An adult man was found dead and six people were taken to hospital for treatment. At 01:00 two people were still being searched for.
“A mass casualty incident describes an incident in which emergency medical resources, such as personnel and equipment, are overwhelmed by the number and severity of casualties,” the North Madison Volunteer Fire Department said in a follow-up online statement describing the operation.
No other details about the cause of the accident or the identity of the victims have been made available and the incident is ongoing.