Search and recovery efforts on Candlewood Lake in Danbury were suspended Wednesday evening for the two men who have been missing since Monday night.
Officials with the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection said the men jumped into the lake from a boat and never resurfaced.
DEEP said Tuesday that it sent out every asset it has in the region with the goal of finding the missing men.
Multiple agencies, including dive teams from Connecticut State Police, Brookfield Police Department, and Danbury Police Department as well as Danbury's Fire and EMS Departments and the Candlewood Lake Association-Lake Patrol, were all involved.
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By Wednesday morning, the men had been missing for more than 36 hours. Recovery efforts resumed around 7 a.m., according to DEEP.
Search crews scoured the lake for any signs of the 26-year-old and 38-year-old men.
Family, friends and neighbors stood by watching and waiting, hoping for news of their recovery.
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Richard Ginty, who's lived in Danbury all his life, is one of the neighbors who stood by watching. He said the entire community is saddened by this.
Ginty said he used to swim in Candlewood Lake when he was younger and it isn't very easy to do, especially beyond the buoy area.
He believes the lake’s conditions may have been a challenge for the men who went missing. He also said it is likely complicating recovery efforts for divers.
"I don't care if you’re an Olympic swimmer or not. Friends of mine, professional diver, they don't even practice on this lake because it's too cloudy. You can't see nothing," Ginty explained.
According to DEEP, the Danbury boat launch is closed. The department is also asking the public to avoid the area while search and recovery efforts continue.
The search was suspended at 4 p.m. Wednesday. It is expected to resume Thursday at 7 a.m.
