Overview

• The boy fell into the river from Stratford’s Birdseye Boat Ramp on August 6 and was swept away by powerful currents.
• Teams from local fire and police departments, Connecticut State Police and the U.S. Coast Guard used boats, jet skis, drones, dive units, a cutter and a helicopter in the search.
• Officials transitioned from rescue to recovery early Thursday after dive efforts were hampered by poor visibility and changing tides.
• Active searching was called off Thursday afternoon after crews covered roughly 500 nautical miles and deemed further operations unsafe.
• Records show nearly 50 drownings along the Housatonic since 2021, highlighting hazards created by dams and hydroelectric undercurrents.