The body of a man who had been reported missing since last Sunday, when heavy rains pounded portions of Connecticut, has been found.
Robert MacIsaac, 59, of Weston, was found dead Thursday in the Aspetuck River in Westport, police said.
Officials are examining if MacIsaac’s death is connected to Sunday’s extreme weather, which already killed two women in Oxford.
Fairfield Police said they learned Thursday that a vehicle was submerged in the Aspetuck River, directly behind Aspetuck Falls. The vehicle was believed to have been at this location for several days, police said.
A police diver found the vehicle to be unoccupied, but authorities said “further investigation revealed evidence suggesting that the operator of the vehicle may have been inside when the vehicle entered the water.”
According to police, MacIsaac was last seen in the afternoon on Sunday, Aug. 18. The car was spotted in Wilton a few hours later that evening.
“Based on these findings, a recovery operation was initiated,” Fairfield Police said in a statement.
Several hours after the submerged vehicle was discovered, MacIsaac was located in the Aspetuck River in the area of Bayberry Lane and Easton Road in Westport.
“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. “The official cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.”
Sunday’s extreme weather caused massive damage across portions of southwest Connecticut, with heavy rains wiping out roads and bridges and shutting down more than two dozen state roads, which authorities anticipate will be closed for an extended period.
Connecticut Public Radio’s Kelsey Hubbard Rollinson, Matt Dwyer and Patrick Skahill contributed to this report.
