Search resumes for 2 men missing after fatal Old Saybrook boat crash

OLD SAYBROOK, Conn. (WTNH) — The search continues for two missing men after a boat crash in Old Saybrook left one person dead and six others hospitalized.

Recovery efforts started again around 9:30 a.m. Thursday.

A 31-foot boat carrying nine people hit a jetty and crashed at about 9:15 p.m. Monday while returning from Block Island, Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) said.

DEEP officials identified 34-year-old Christopher Hallahan of Westbrook as the man found dead on the boat. Six people, including the boat’s operator, were taken to a hospital.

As of Wednesday, officials said the boat’s operator was in critical condition.

Westbrook First Selectman John Hall, who knows the Hallahan family, expressed his condolences. Hall said Hallahan’s wife was on the boat when it crashed into the break wall at the mouth of the Connecticut River.

Hall said Hallahan had close ties to the community as a contractor working in the family construction business. Hallahan also served on a committee for the town’s community center.

“Chris was a fine young man,” Hall said. “I’ve known him since he went to school with my children and grew up here in town. Westbrook is a small, tight-knit community, and the Hallahan family has been here for at least three generations. Chris was on our community center committee and getting involved on the town side besides his family business and just seemed to have everything together going on.”

Hall added that State Environmental Conservation officials said on Tuesday that they believe their mission is a recovery effort, although they “always hope for the best.”

The boat, which hit the east-facing jetty at the mouth of the Connecticut River, sustained significant damage and was pulled from the water around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday near the Harbor One Marina.

The investigation continues as DEEP officials work to obtain a search warrant for the boat.

On Sept. 4, 2023, four people were injured after a cigarette boat crashed into a break wall off Old Saybrook.

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