FAIRFIELD — On Thursday, Aug. 22, at approximately 12:39 p.m., Fairfield Police Department responded to a notification from the Weston Police Department about a submerged vehicle in the Aspetuck River, directly behind Aspetuck Falls.
The vehicle, which seemed to have been at the location for several days, was unoccupied.
Fairfield Police divers confirmed that the vehicle was empty and no individuals were found in the surrounding water.
The initial investigation indicated that the vehicle’s operator might have been inside when it entered the river.
The vehicle’s owner was last seen on Sunday, Aug. 18, around 5 p.m., and the vehicle was last spotted in Wilton at about 10 p.m. the same day.
A search and recovery operation was launched and by 5:24 p.m., the owner of the vehicle was found deceased in the river near Bayberry Lane and Easton Road in Westport.
Preliminary investigations point to the possibility that the incident was related to the severe weather on Sunday, though the exact cause is still under investigation.
The official cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
The Fairfield Police Department expressed gratitude to the State Police Aviation Unit, State Police SAR K9 Unit, Westport Police Department, Weston Police Department, and the numerous Fairfield Police personnel for their commitment and professionalism during the operation.
