5 Men Rescued After Boat Sinks In LI Sound Near Clinton

CLINTON, CT — Five men were saved earlier this week after their boat sank in the Long Island Sound, according to a statement from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The agency credited "the preparedness and quick actions taken by the owner of the sinking vessel, and the Good Samaritan vessels in the area who came to their aid" for the rescue.

The five men, whose ages ranged from 72-80, were fishing off of Six-Mile Reef off the coast of Westbrook/Clinton late Monday afternoon, according to the statement.

One of the men noticed there was water in the back of the boat. The owner found that water was coming out of the back storage area, and the whole area, including the boat’s batteries, was flooded.

Unable to get the motor started, and with the boat continuing to take on water, the owner told the other men to put on the lifejackets he had on board. He then got on his radio and sent out a distress call, according to the statement.

Two other boats were on the water that afternoon. Evan Kamoen, 18, of Killingworth, was out fishing with two friends when he heard the distress call come across his marine radio.

When Kamoen drove his boat over, he found that the distressed boat was leaning, and it soon after flipped over. The five men were in the water, two of them clinging to the boat, two floating nearby, and one who was trapped beneath the boat, but who was eventually able to get out from under it.

Kamoen and his crew turned off their motor, and carefully scooped four of the five men out of the water, according to the statement.

They didn’t have enough room for the fifth person, but waited until another Good Samaritan boat that was also fishing nearby came over to pull the fifth person out of the water.

Both boats made it back to shore safely.

Emergency services responded to the scene, but the five men were largely unscathed, with only some minor injuries.

DEEP Environmental Conservation Officer Alexandra Blackwell said the actions of everyone involved led to the positive outcome.

"Lifejackets, the use of Marine VHF Radios, and the monitoring of Channel 16 by the Good Samaritan rescue vessels saved the lives of these five men," Blackwell said in a statement.

The boat's owner, who requested that his name not be included in this release, credited the Good Samaritan boaters for coming to their aid.

"They’re the real heroes, they deserve the attention," he said.

For the Good Samaritan boaters, it was simply the right thing to do to answer the call.

Jeff Nosal, who, along with his brother Jason, operated the second Good Samaritan boat, said, "I was just doing what I’d hope someone else would do for me."