1 dead, 7 injured after boat crashes into shore of Connecticut River

A man was killed in a boating crash Sunday on the Connecticut River, which left a woman in critical condition and injured several other people — including two children — officials said.

Officials with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, or DEEP, said eight people were on board, two of them children ages 6 to 12, when the boat “collided with the shoreline” of the river in Portland, Connecticut, at around 5 p.m.

All eight were ejected by the impact, they said, according to NBC Connecticut.

DEEP identified the man who died as Wayne Hamler, 60, NBC Connecticut reported. A 45-year-old woman remained in the hospital in critical condition Monday, DEEP said.

Several others who were on board were taken to hospitals; the two injured children were taken to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.

DEEP officials said they are still investigating.

“What we know so far is they were heading north on the river," DEEP Environmental Conservation Police Capt. Keith Williams said.

"We’re not sure as to what caused the operator to lose control of the helm. But from what we understand, he lost control of the helm, of the wheel, for some reason. It’s all under investigation right now," Williams said.

"The boat veered off course and made a direct shot for the shoreline and went probably 50 or so feet along the rocky shoreline,” he said.