Death of Connecticut man found in river may be related to flooding that killed 2 others, police say

WESTPORT, Conn. (AP) — The death of a Connecticut man whose body was found in a river downstream from his submerged pickup truck may be related to the destructive flooding that killed two other people in the state, police said Friday.

The body of Robert Macisaac, 59, was found in the Aspetuck River in Westport on Thursday afternoon, Fairfield police said. His truck was found about a mile (1.6 kilometers) upstream in the river in Fairfield.

“A preliminary investigation suggests that the incident could be related to the severe weather conditions that occurred in the area this past Sunday, although the exact cause of the vehicle leaving the roadway remains under investigation,” police said in a statement. “The official cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.”

Sunday’s storm dumped more than a foot (30 centimeters) of rain in southwestern Connecticut, the National Weather Service said. Small creeks and streams became raging torrents, roads and bridges were washed out and homes and businesses flooded. Two women in Oxford died after being swept away in floodwaters in separate incidents, and dozens of others were rescued.

According to public records, Macisaac lived along the Aspetuck River in Weston, less than a half-mile from where his truck was found submerged and unoccupied by a police diver at Aspetuck Falls on Thursday. Police said it appeared the truck had been in the river for several days. His body was discovered about five hours later.

Macisaac was last seen at about 5 p.m. Sunday, and his truck was last seen in Wilton around 10 p.m. the same day, police said.