Search for missing boaters in Old Saybrook boat crash ends with discovery of 2 bodies Friday
The boaters went missing following a crash on the water in Old Saybrook on Labor Day.
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The bodies of two missing men were found Friday in the wake of Monday's boat crash in Old Saybrook, bringing the total number of deaths in the case to three, according to the Connecticut Environmental Conservation police.
The first body found Friday was discovered about a half mile south of the crash site shortly after noon, while the second body was found around 4:30 p.m., according to Capt. Keith Williams, who said the four-day search involving agencies from across the state was filled with challenges.
"The conditions, they were difficult for divers to get in the water; it was difficult for underwater drones to operate because of the currents," Williams said.
The boat carrying nine people collided with a jetty along the Old Saybrook shoreline around 9:15 p.m. Monday, with the body of first person killed -- 34-year-old Christopher Hallahan, of Westbrook -- found on the boat shortly after the crash, officials said.
Six people, including the operator of the boat, were taken to the hospital, officials said.
The 31-foot boat was returning from Block Island when the crash took place, officials said.
"The whole thing is very, very, very sad," said Nancy Kent, a retired nurse from Glastonbury who was walking her dog near the site of the crash Friday.
"There's not much we can say to console these families -- just pray for them," Kent said.
