Search Resumes in Connecticut River for Missing Boater

State Police returned to the Connecticut River in East Hartford on Monday to continue searching for a missing boater.

Ivan De Jesus Morales Mencia, 39, jumped into the river on Saturday, according to Connecticut Environmental Conservation Police. Crews searched for Mencia on Saturday and Sunday and returned to the river Monday morning.

A member of the CSP Dive Team told NBC Connecticut that the divers will be using a towable sonar unit that provides a good picture of the bottom of the river.

They will be searching north of Great River Park closer to the railroad bridge along Interstate 84.

The dive team said the river current is very fast in that area. It moves in a circular motion and can flow upriver as well. There is a lot of debris in the murky water and it can be as deep as 50 feet. It can be unsafe to dive so depending on what they find during their search, they will make a decision to dive or not.

The dive team plans to spend a few hours searching Monday.

Contact Us