https://www.newstimes.com/local/article/Candlewood-Lake-boating-accident-sends-one-to-13008029.php
DEEP: Man charged Candlewood Lake accident that injured swimmer
Updated 9:50 pm, Tuesday, June 19, 2018
NEW FAIRFIELD — A 65-year-old man was charged with recklessly operating his boat in connection with an accident on Candlewood Lake that left one person with serious injuries Tuesday.
Gary Morrone, 65, of Oakville, was charged with first-degree reckless operation of a vessel, failure to help a collision victim and failure to immediately notify law enforcement of injury, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesman Chris Collibee said.
Morrone was released on $10,000 bond and is due in court in Danbury on July 3.
Around 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, New Fairfield police, Squantz Engine Company, State Police, DEEP and Environmental Conservation Police responded to Candlewood Lake near the Squantz Pond boat launch to help in the search of a missing person in the water, Collibee said.
“Upon arrival, one female victim was rescued from the water by a good Samaritan vessel,” Collibee said. “The female victim was transported to Danbury Hospital for serious physical injuries.”
Officials had no further information about her identity, age or condition late Tuesday.
As agencies investigated, EnCon police identified the evading vessel that left the scene. The operator, Morrone, was placed under arrest. DEEP did not clarify if Morrone hit the victim with his boat.
DEEP did not release any further details Tuesday night about the incident.
Candlewood Lake is bordered by New Fairfield, Danbury, Brookfield, New Milford and Sherman.
Over the years, several people have died on the lake, in boating and drowning incidents. Fifteen drowning deaths were recorded between 1998 and 2010. In 2007, the state reduced the Squantz Pond parking lot capacity by 50 percent — from 500 cars to 250 — in the hopes of making the area safer.
On Candlewood Lake, no one has drowned in at least seven years.
Before Tuesday’s incident, the most recent boating accident was in the summer of 2016 when three people were injured when a pontoon boat collided with two other boats while trying to dock.
aquinn@newstimes.com; TONeill@hearstmediact.com
