FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Two people, including a fisherman, have been rescued, and crews are looking to locate another that was trapped on a reef when water started to rise at a Connecticut beach.

The Fairfield Fire Department responded to a call for help after getting a report that two fishermen were in distress off the reef at Penfield Beach. It happened around 7 a.m. on Saturday.

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Investigators said that while the two fishermen were on a reef, the incoming tide quickly surrounded them, leaving them trapped, with the water still rising and no safe way back to shore.

A witness saw what happened and jumped into the water to help. While they were able to find one of the fishermen, both were subsequently swept into deeper water, according to the fire department.

Police and fire officials dispatched multiple marine assets to the area, and the Fairfield Police Boat was able to rescue the witness and one fisherman.

Search efforts to find the second fisherman have been suspended for the night, but are expected to pick up on Sunday morning.

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Drone units from Fairfield and nearby Westport assisted in search operations. Helicopters from the U.S. Coast Guard and Nassau County, New York, also responded.

Dive teams from several neighboring cities and towns responded to the scene to assist with the search, too.

The rescued fisherman was transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, due in large part to the heroic actions of the witness, according to fire officials.

Despite an extensive search involving local, state and federal resources, the second fisherman has not been located, the fire department said.

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The operation has transitioned from a search and rescue mission to a recovery effort, and officials said efforts to locate the man, identified as 34-year-old Kwahiwi Edwards, of Queens, New York, will continue.

“The Fairfield Police Department and Fairfield Fire Department extend their thoughts and support to the family and loved ones of the missing fisherman as search and recovery efforts continue,” the fire department said on Facebook.

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Officials are also thanking the witness that jumped in and whose quick actions helped save a life.

WALLINGFORD, Conn. (WFSB) – Hundreds of athletes are competing in the 12th annual Gauntlet 5K on Wednesday morning.

The race features adaptive obstacle courses on the campus of Gaylord Hospital. Many of the athletes participating received treatment or went through rehab at Gaylord Hospital.

Much of the proceeds raised goes back to the hospital’s adaptive sports program and sports association. The program offers 18 adaptive sports at little to no cost to participants. It is the state’s largest adaptive sports program dedicated to improving the lives of anyone with physical disabilities.

Jess Youngblood, a Gauntlet adaptive athlete, said she is committed to giving it her all on the course.

“I was very active before all of this,” Youngblood said. “So being in the wheelchair is definitely a different experience. But I don’t let it slow me down.”

The first race kicks off at 8 a.m. and races will continue through 2 p.m.

Sen. Jan Hochadel (D-Meriden) on Friday welcomed a $581,256 state grant to fund the Middlefield Municipal Campus Connections project, improving pedestrian safety and connectivity around the town’s municipal campus.

The funding comes through the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s Community Connectivity Grant Program, announced today by Governor Ned Lamont and Transportation Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto.

“Middlefield is a small, tight-knit community, and investments in how residents move through that community matter,” Senator Hochadel said. “Safer connections around the municipal campus make daily life better for the people who live there, and that’s what this program delivers. I’m grateful to Governor Lamont and Commissioner Eucalitto for making sure Middlefield was part of this investment.”

Since the program launched in 2019, 172 grants totaling more than $84 million have been invested in Connecticut communities.

Governor Lamont highlighted the broader impact of the program across Connecticut.

“This program cuts red tape and accelerates local infrastructure projects that make a real difference in people’s daily lives,” Governor Lamont said. “Across Connecticut with the support of this state program, communities are building accessible sidewalks, new bicycle connections, and stronger links to jobs, schools, and local businesses.”

Contact: Hugh McQuaid | Hugh.McQuaid@cga.ct.gov 

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