Victims Identified In Fatal Sailboat Accident Off Warwick Coast

WARWICK, RI — The Department of Environmental Management Division of Law Enforcement has identified the victims of a fatal boating incident that occurred off the coast of Warwick.

Late Tuesday afternoon a 23-foot sailboat took on water and sank in Greenwich Bay. Two people were recovered, and they were unresponsive. The victims were transported to the Oakland Beach Boat Ramp. Robert Puchta, 62, from Warwick, and Luann Cole, 66, also from Warwick, were declared dead.

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Area waters were searched by a Marine Task Force including RIDEM environmental police, a Warwick Fire Department dive team, and the Warwick Police Department using sonar technology. The vessel has not been recovered.

The matter remains under investigation.