Norwalk Fire Department

Press Release

October 13, 2013

The Norwalk Fire Department’s marine division received a marine distress at 3:42pm Saturday afternoon. The report from a passing sail boat Archipelago was that a small fishing vessel with the two people on board were using buckets to bail water from within the sinking vessel, and that the vessel was at base of Peck’s Ledge Lighthouse. As the fire department responded, notifications to Norwalk’s Marine Police and the Coast Guard and each agency dispatched units to the scene.

The Norwalk Police MU130 and Fire Department MU238 were first to arrive at 3:47pm and found two adults on board the small skiff.  The boat was sitting very low in the water due to the amount of water that it had taken on and was secured to the lighthouse maintenance ladder between two large rocks. It was then determined that the police boat grab the two occupants off the vessel while the fire boat dewater and tow the vessel into the public dock at Veteran’s Park.

No injuries were reported from this incident, but a small craft advisory was in effect for Long Island Sound due to the 20-30 knot east wind which was producing four foot seas. Norwalk Police and Fire Marine Units would like to remind all mariners that weather can change quickly in the Long Island Sound and to check the marine forecast before getting underway.

Deputy Chief Edward Prescott

Norwalk Fire Department

121 Connecticut Avenue

Norwalk, CT 06854

203-854-0242 w

203-856-0036 c

eprescott@norwalkct.org