Waterford man dies in Portland boating accident
A Waterford man died and seven other people were injured after a boating accident Sunday on the Connecticut River in Portland, according to the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
Police identified the deceased as Wayne Hamler, 60, of Waterford.
Eight people — six adults and two children — were on board the 21-foot Yamaha jet boat, which was heading north on the Connecticut River Sunday afternoon when it suddenly veered toward the shoreline, DEEP said in a news release. The boat then struck rocks on the river bank, and numerous people were ejected from the boat.
DEEP said Hamler was pronounced dead at the scene. Seven people were taken to nearby hospitals, including Hartford Hospital and Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. A 45-year-old woman is in critical condition, a 6-year-old boy is in serious but stable condition, and a 52-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man are in stable condition. The other three people on board the boat were treated and released from medical care.
The accident near Gildersleeve Island was reported to Connecticut State Environmental Conservation Police at 4:58 p.m. Sunday. EnCon Police, Middletown Fire Department, Portland Police and Portland Fire Department responded to the accident.
EnCon Police and the Boat Accident Reconstruction Unit are investigating the cause of the accident, according to the release.
"On behalf of the Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police, we offer our most sincere condolences to the family and friends of the people involved," DEEP said.
DEEP spokesperson James Fowler said Monday evening he can't address any of the events of the incident, as it's under investigation.
In Waterford, a few neighbors at Jordan Commons said they didn't know much about the personal life of Hamler, a longtime Electric Boat employee, but recalled him as someone who was helpful to everyone, a hard worker, and very into fitness. They talked about how excited he was about his new twin grandchildren, a boy and a girl.
Neighbors Robin Harpell and Denise Schiavone both spoke of how much work Hamler put into his condo, described him as full of life, and recalled him helping with shoveling snow.
"He was a great neighbor. He'd come out, he'd pitch in," Harpell said. Both she and Kristen Southwick, a Renegade Fitness employee, mentioned Hamler bringing them a bottle of homemade wine as a gift.
Southwick became manager of the Renegade Fitness location in Norwich in October but previously worked the front desk and was a personal trainer at the Waterford location, where she said Hamler "was an everydayer. He was such a huge part of Renegade. He'd mentor a lot of younger kids."
She characterized him as someone who was very humble and "would help anybody with everything," adding that he got other people involved with Renegade and that he had family members who went there as well. She said he "just appreciated life itself" — especially the summertime and the beach — and that he enjoyed cooking and reading.
"He was part of this place," Southwick said. "It's not going to be the same without him. I can't picture him not walking through the door."
DEEP is asking anyone who saw the accident or has information to call EnCon Police at (800) 842-4357 and refer information to Conservation Enforcement Officer Megan Erickson. The case number is 22-10902.
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