A cold night on Lake Hayward in Connecticut ended in death. Now it has led to handcuffs. Connecticut environmental police arrested 20-year-old Michael Collins of Mineola, New York, on July 10. They charged him with operating a vessel under the influence. The arrest follows the March drowning of his friend, Dominick Tocci.
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Subscribe Sekarang →According to investigators, the two young men had been drinking with friends before they pushed a canoe into the dark water of Lake Hayward on the night of March 21. The boat did not stay upright. It capsized, throwing both men into the cold lake. Locals heard the desperate cries for help and pulled Collins from the water, but Tocci did not surface.
Based on police reports, emergency crews searched the lake for two days before recovering Tocci's body. The loss hit the town of Woodstock hard. Those who knew Tocci remembered him as a bright young athlete and a kind teammate. His family and former coaches mourned a young life cut short on the water.
The arrest of Collins comes after a state campaign to stop drinking on the water. Connecticut environmental officials recently warned that alcohol is the leading cause of recreational boating deaths. Collins was released on a promise to appear in court on July 23. The law has changed, and those who drink and steer boats now face the loss of their driver's license.