Westport police continue to investigate after boats capsized and 19 people, including several student rowers, ended up in Long Island Sound on Wednesday evening.
First responders, including Westport Police, Westport Fire and Westport EMS, responded to Compo Beach after receiving reports that a boat capsized and several people were in the water.
What they found was “a chaotic scene” with teens swimming to shore, arriving by boat, and others in the water near Cockenoe Island, police said. They began to treat the students on the shore and rescue those in the water.
Westport police said Thursday morning that 19 people were in the water and nine rowers and one coach remained in their vessels.
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The air temperature was around 40 degrees and the water temperature was 44 degrees at the time and two rowers were taken to Norwalk Hospital and treated for cold exposure. They have been released from the hospital, police said Thursday morning.
The Westport Police Marine Division is investigating and they will focus on any weather advisories that were posted, available life jackets, the experience of the rowers and coaches and the suitability of the vessels, according to police.
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They said they are looking to help prevent this from happening again.
As the investigation continues, police said the initial investigation indicates that three rowing sculls carrying nine rowers between 14 and 18 years old and one chase boat operated by a coach had launched from Saugatuck Rowing Club.
When they reached the area of Cockenoe Island, the weather began to change and the rowers tried to get back to the rowing club, but the sculls started to take on water.
Two capsized, throwing 18 people into the water.
The students who were in the water swam to the chase boat and hung onto the side, which caused the chase boat to sink as well.
Another chase boat from the rowing club responded and shuttled people to Compo Beach Marina.
As of Thursday morning, a rowing scull that capsized is missing. The other two sculls were brought to Compo Marina Tuesday night.
The “chase boat” that sank was found submerged near Cockeone Island. An effort to recover that boat Thursday was suspended due to weather conditions, police said.
The first responders involved in the rescue included the Fairfield Police Marine Division, Stamford Police Marine Division, Noroton Fire Boat, Norwalk Police Marine Division, Norwalk Fire Marine Division and the U.S. Coast Guard.
The operation also included eight ambulances and 20 personnel from Norwalk Hospital, American Medical Response and Darien EMS.
Police said the Westport Board of Education provided a school bus to bring the students and coaches from Compo Beach to the Saugatuck Rowing Club.
“This was truly a team effort,” Chief Koskinas said in a statement.
“We are grateful for our surrounding agencies who assisted us with this incident and remind our communities that when a large-scale event, like this, happens we all show up to help,” he added.
