The New Haven Fire Department (NHFD) has switched from a rescue mission to a recovery mission after nearly half a day of searching for a 13-year-old who jumped into the West River near the West Haven border early Thursday morning.
Search Efforts
Fire Chief Daniel Coughlin told the Independent that the NHFD got a call at 4:26 a.m. Thursday about two people in the water near Orange Avenue. One was a 13-year-old who had jumped in the water. The other was an adult relative of the 13-year-old who had jumped in to save him, but wound up needing to be saved himself.
The search included three NHFD boats, a West Haven Fire Department boat, a Coast Guard boat, four drones, and a Coast Guard helicopter, as well as the Milford dive team and a Connecticut state dive team. Coughlin said that state police currently have a drone in the water and that the NHFD has used infrared, sonar technology, and thermal imaging technology.
Given the water temperature, Coughlin said, it’s not survivable anymore to be in the water for that long. The boy is from New Haven, and his family was on the scene all morning.
Original reporting: New Haven Independent — read the source article.
