A 54-year-old Chaplin man faces three criminal charges stemming from a fatal boat crash on the Housantonic River Dec. 7.
Burt W. Hamilton was charged Friday (March 22) with first-degree reckless boating, excess speed in a “slow-no-wake zone,” and failing to maintain proper lookout.
On Dec. 7, Hamilton’s boat collided with a dock piling on its way back to the Sunnyside Boat Ramp in Shelton. Donald Bessette, a passenger in the boat, fell into the water and drowned.
The Shelton dive team, along with emergency personnel from Shelton, Stratford and the private Sikorsky fire department all responded to help.
Bessette was found within 15 minutes of the initial 911 call at about 7 p.m. He was reported to not be breathing when he was discovered. CPR was administered.
“The investigation conducted by EnCon Police’s Boating Accident Reconstruction Unit determined that Mr. Bessette was allegedly ejected from the boat when it collided with the dock piling,” according to a prepared statement from state EnCon police.
Chaplin is scheduled to appear in Superior Court in Derby on April 1.
