Police Recover Bodies Of Missing Danbury Swimmers In Candlewood Lake

DANBURY, CT —Police have recovered the bodies of two Danbury men who were missing after jumping from a boat in Candlewood Lake.

The 26-year-old and 38-year-old Danbury residents were discovered by the Connecticut State Police dive team and the Danbury Police dive team in the lake on Thursday.

The bodies will be turned over to the state's Chief Medical Examiner, according to Department of Energy and Environmental Protection spokesperson James Fowler.

Both men jumped from a boat into the lake Monday night around 10:30 and did not return. The pair were among five people who spent the day on Candlewood Lake in Danbury. The mariners who remained on the boat called 911, triggering the search-and-rescue operation.

Rescue boats utilized sonar and underwater imaging equipment and aerial drones from the Brookfield Police Department in the search, which was suspended around 2:30 a.m., according to Danbury police spokesperson Henry said.

Additional rescue boats and dive teams from Danbury Police, Brookfield, Sherman, New Fairfield, NUSAR, Region 5, Candlewood Lake Authority, Ball Pond and other agencies responded to assist with the search.

The search was once again suspended Tuesday evening, resumed Wednesday, but was suspended around 4 p.m. due to weather conditions. Search operations began again at 7 a.m. Thursday, and resulted in the successful recovery of the bodies, according to Fowler:

"DEEP extends its deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims during this difficult time."