Water safety expert warns of fast-changing tides as Fairfield police search for missing fisherman

Fairfield police have shifted their search for a missing fisherman into a recovery effort after he disappeared off the coast over the weekend when rising tides stranded two men on a reef near Penfield Beach.

Police identified the missing man as 34-year-old Kwahiwi Edwards of Queens, New York.

Investigators said two fishermen were on a reef off Penfield Beach on Saturday when an incoming tide quickly surrounded them, leaving them stranded. A witness saw the men in distress and helped one of them reach safety. Edwards remains missing.

As crews continue searching, a water safety expert is reminding beachgoers and fishermen to be aware of changing tide conditions along Connecticut’s shoreline.

Ben Rayner, who runs the nonprofit Water Emergency Training Incorporated, said the state’s coastline can create unpredictable water conditions.

“Because of the jagged nature and kind of irregular nature of the Connecticut coastline, you can get eddies and swirls that form with different tides,” he said.

Rayner said conditions can change rapidly, leaving people stranded in areas that were accessible only a short time earlier.

“You’re not going to be able to find your way back to the beach, which a half hour earlier looked like dry land,” he said.

According to Rayner, anyone heading to a sandbar, reef or other areas affected by tides should wear a life jacket and check tide conditions before going out.

He said several apps can help people monitor tide changes.

“There’s all sorts of apps you can download that’ll show you exactly where high tide and low tide is for where you’re at and try to time that,” he said.