One person was killed and two are still missing after a boat slammed into a jetty at a high rate of speed in Connecticut, officials said.
The crash happened in Old Saybrook on Monday around 9:15 p.m., WFSB reported. When Department of Energy and Environmental Protection crews arrived on the scene, they spotted a single engine motorboat half-submerged near the Harbor One Marina, sparking a search for the nine people onboard at the time of the crash.
Their ages ranged from their mid-20s to 30s.
Guilford’s dive team responded, along with boats, personnel, and ambulances from other nearby towns, in a bid to locate the missing boaters. One person was found dead shortly after the collision, and another six — five women and one man — have been rescued, DEEP said.
By the time they were forced to suspend their search late Monday, two people remained missing, but their efforts kicked off again early Tuesday, as soon as the sun rose.
The pair of missing passengers were not wearing lifejackets prior to boat crash.
Officials said they were looking at currents, tides, and wind direction amid the search, which is expected to involve at least 120 people.
The U.S. Coast Guard also sent a helicopter from Cape Cod to assist.
“We always hope for the best,” said Capt. Keith Williams, DEEP’s EnCon police, told WFSB. “From what we’re seeing, from evidence [in the] early stages, we’re hoping for the best. But at this point, it’s most likely going to be a recovery.”
The cause of crash is unclear.