CT State Trooper Killed During Flood Identified: UPDATE

WOODBURY, CT — The state of Connecticut is mourning the death of a longtime state police sergeant who was killed in floodwaters near Jacks Bridge in the overnight hours, authorities confirmed at a news conference Thursday afternoon.

Trooper Sgt. Brian E. Mohl, 50, was named by state police as the trooper killed in the line of duty Thursday.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed for Patch Friday afternoon that Mohl's cause of death was "blunt trauma to the torso" and the manner of death is ruled accidental.

In a news release issued late Thursday afternoon, state police said that hours after he was last heard from, he was found by search and rescue.

“It is with deep regret and sadness that I report that the State Police today lost a good man who dedicated more than a quarter century to protecting the citizens of Connecticut. Sgt. Mohl was committed to helping others, to keeping public safety his priority and to always assisting his fellow Troopers,” Colonel Stavros Mellekas, Commanding Officer of the State Police, said.

“Every line of duty death is heartbreaking and the loss of Sgt. Mohl is no different. He was outside, in the middle of the night, in horrendous conditions, patrolling the Troop L area. He was doing a job he loved and he was taken much too soon,” Mellekas said.

At a news conference earlier in the day, Gov. Ned Lamont, with more than a dozen troopers nearby, said during terrible storms he tells residents to stay home and safe, but that isn't possible for first responders. Lamont said officers take care of us every day and are always in harms way.

This is the 25th line-of-duty death in the Connecticut State Police Department's history and, state police said, the Officer Down Memorial Page reports 31 line of duty deaths due to drowning since 2010.

Mohl entered the State Police Training Academy on November 25, 1994, and graduated on June 1, 1995, with the 105th Training Troop. He was assigned to Troop A in Southbury and transferred to Troop L in Litchfield after being promoted to Sergeant in May 2000. He also served as Sergeant at Troop B in North Canaan, Troop G in Bridgeport and Troop H in Hartford before returning to Troop L in 2008.

Lamont directed U.S. and state flags in Connecticut lowered to half-staff in honor of Mohl. Flags shall be lowered immediately and remain lowered until sunset on the date of interment, which has not yet been determined.

The Office of the Governor will send out a notification when flags should be returned to full staff. Accordingly, since no flag should fly higher than the U.S. flag, all other flags, including state, municipal, corporate, or otherwise, should also be lowered during this same duration of time, Lamont's office said.

“The passing of Sergeant Brian Mohl is a shock and a tragedy, and I am incredibly saddened by his loss,” Lamont said. “He dedicated his career and his life to public safety and protecting the lives of others. His tragic loss is a reminder of the dangers that State Troopers and first responders put themselves in every day when responding to emergencies, and they deserve our utmost respect. Sergeant Mohl served the people of Connecticut with honor and commitment, and for that he will have our eternal gratitude and respect. My heart goes out to his family, friends, and colleagues at the Connecticut State Police, and I ask the people of Connecticut to keep him in their prayers.”

Mohl was working the midnight shift at Troop L during the worst of the storm and at 3:30 a.m. state police received an emergency call from the sergeant that the waters were rising rapidly, and he was in distress.

That was the last they heard from him, and at 4 a.m. state police sent everyone available to the scene. First responders including dive crews searched and at daybreak a helicopter was able to spot his vehicle submerged in water.

Mohl wasn't located in his cruiser, and he was found an hour later in the Pomperaug River. He was treated at the scene and taken by LifeStar helicopter to Yale-New Haven Hospital. He was presumed dead en route and was confirmed deceased at the hospital.

U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes said every time an officer puts on the uniform, they could be put in harms way and that they're always trying to protect us.

Here is the video briefing:

See also: 4 Killed As Plane Crashes Into Industrial Building: Police

• CT Power Outages And Rain Totals, Town-By-Town
• Several Flood Warnings Remain In CT As Numerous Roads Closed

Woodbury Fire Department Chief Morgan said that when the call came in to rescue, first responders were initially unaware that the missing person was a state trooper. She said that the area nears Jacks Bridge is one that's prone to flooding and when the call came in, responders were prepared:

"We're used to the swift water" in the area, she said. She also said that it is a "back road" with no street lights when asked if the trooper would have been able to see fast moving flood waters. She said the trooper could have come across the road and not seen the water rising as he came over the bridge, adding that the area is "known for its rapid waters." Morgan said the area where he was swept in experienced "water 6 feet over flood stage last night."

Morgan said that there was little flooding before midnight but after, "it just took off." She said that public works and police were notified about flooding conditions and said that first responders in the area knew what roads were flooded and closed, but that the "trooper may just not have known."

Morgan said that a total of nine fire departments, six boats, three helicopters were involved in the search.

Police and first responders from across the state, and the country, shared their condolences and grief.

Guilford police wrote:

"This is one of those days that you pray you could just wish away. A day when a brother officer didn’t make it home to his family. A day that should have been like any other ...Working storm detail…Cold meal in the car…Rolls of caution tape and trunks full of traffic cones…Occasional call for service…But it wasn’t like any other day…Today had heartbreak for so many in our Blue family…Today we lost a friend, a protector and hero…Our thoughts and prayers are with the Connecticut State Police and the family and friends of CSP Sergeant Brian Mohl #283. Godspeed Sarg… we have the watch from here ..."