The search for a fisherman who was swept off Penfield Reef in Fairfield, Connecticut, has shifted from a rescue to a recovery operation, police say, a grim turn in an effort that began over the weekend. The missing man, a 34-year-old from New York, was one of two fishermen who became trapped on the reef when the tide rose on Saturday, and one of them was carried off by the water.
The two had gone out to fish near Penfield Reef when the rising tide cut them off. According to police, one of the men was swept away as the water came in, while the other managed to stay on the reef long enough to be reached. The speed with which the conditions changed left little time to react once the men realized they were in trouble.
A third fisherman, unrelated to the pair, was able to pull one of the stranded men to safety. That man was taken to the hospital and was expected to be okay, but both had suffered hypothermia after time in water measured at around 57 degrees, cold enough to sap a person's strength quickly even on a warm day above the surface.
For the missing fisherman, the operation has now changed in nature. Bridgeport police deployed an underwater sonar unit to scan the area around the reef, and officials say the effort is now focused on recovery rather than rescue. The shift reflects the difficult reality that, after time in those waters, the chances of finding the man alive have faded.
Penfield Reef has a reputation locally for being deceptively dangerous. Police say the undercurrent there swirls in both directions, and the surface can look calm while the conditions just beneath are anything but. The tide comes in very quickly, and people who venture out onto the exposed rocks at low water can find themselves stranded with startling speed as the sea returns.
Those familiar with the area say it is not the first time the reef has caught people out, noting a similar incident two years ago. Fishermen often head out in their waders and gear without closely watching the tide charts, and by the time the water has risen around them, the situation can quickly become frantic, leaving little margin to wade back to safety.
Local boaters and anglers are urging others to take precautions before going out near the reefs and breakwaters of the Sound. The advice includes carrying a map or marine GPS, becoming familiar with where the reefs and breakwaters sit along the coastline, and always having a reliable way to call for help, whether a VHF radio or a cell phone, so that a family member or the Coast Guard can be reached if something goes wrong.