Two men remain missing after jumping from a boat on Candlewood Lake Monday night. The rescue effort has turned into a recovery operation. Officials are out with an urgent warning to people heading out on the water this summer.
The waters of Candlewood Lake in Danbury filled with first responders looking for two men ages 26 and 38. The Department of Energy and Environmental Protection says they jumped off a boat Monday evening and haven’t been seen since. An initial search turned up empty with crews trying again during the daylight.
“We have every asset that we have in the region deployed in the water,” James Fowler, a DEEP senior advisor, said.
Crews searched until about 4 p.m. Tuesday before calling it off for the day. DEEP officials now stress water safety for anyone looking to enjoy the lake.
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“Knowing your surroundings is important. Knowing your capabilities is important,” Fowler said.
“Water is inherently dangerous, you know, but as humans we're attracted to water. We like to recreate around the water,” Adam Katchmarchi, CEO of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance, said.
He says they see more drownings during the summer season nationwide.
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“It's almost a daily occurrence. We're seeing these type of incidents happen around the country,” Katchmarchi said.
He urges people to wear Coast Guard-approved life jackets if they are boating as a measure of safety.
“A life jacket is really designed to be used when you unexpectedly fall into the water,” he said.
And if you do end up falling in the water, Katchmarchi stresses that you know your swimming abilities.
“Just because you are a competent swimmer in an 85-degree clear pool does not mean you're going to have the same competencies in an open water, natural water environment,” he said.
Some relatives of the men crews are searching for also came to Connecticut from Long Island. They say family means everything and they want answers.
It’s still unclear why the men jumped off the boat in the first place.
