Police & Fire Search For Missing Man Continues; Meigs Point, East Beach, Middle Beach Lots Reopened

Update 1:58pm

The Meigs Point, East Beach, and Middle Beach lots have been reopened. State park officials say the search continues.

Original Story

If you are going to Hammonasset Beach State Park today, please stay on the west side of the park. Also, please heed the park directive to keep your dogs on leash. The east side of the park is still closed off as emergency responders and canine units continue to search for a missing East Haven man.

Cyndy Chanaca, a representative from the Office of Communications of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, said the search continues Friday, but the park is open. He is not believed to be a danger to others, but was reported as being despondent by family members, Chanaca said.

Emergency responders have been searching for the missing man since Wednesday night. 

Meigs Point and East Beach were closed off early Friday morning, and signs were placed on trails to close off the areas where searchers are focusing.

Some people are not heeding the signs and are walking around them. Around 10:40 a.m., park police also closed off a parking area in the middle of the park and asked walkers to please stay to the west side of the park while the search was ongoing Friday.

Some dog walkers had their dogs on leash, others had them off leash. 

"It is still an ongoing investigation," Chanaca said Friday morning. "The state police are assisting the EnCon [state park] police. Canine units from EnCon and the state police are in service." 

Chanaca said she has not heard any reports that there is concern that a weapon is involved, or that the missing man is a danger to others. "The officers are not aware that there is any weapon involved, that is not part of the equation," she said. 

There is some concern on the part of family members that the man may be "despondent," Chanaca said. "The family reported him missing, as a despondent male missing." 

A Madison Patch reader who said he is a friend of the family said family and friends are concerned because it is uncharacteristic for him to be out of touch for this long. He said the missing man has military training as a Navy Seal, and so would know how to survive outside for periods of time.