"We're not anticipating finding a living, viable victim," Lt. Paul Resnick said at a news conference at about 5 p.m. Monday.
The man, along with three others, were thrown from a canoe near Calf Pasture Beach in Norwalk at about 12:20 p.m. Monday after it was hit by two waves, Resnick said.
Three men, who were heading out to fish at a nearby island, were pulled from the water by the Norwalk Fire Department boat, Resnick said. A local kayaker, who was one of the first on the scene, also helped, he said.
Two men in the canoe were wearing life jackets, and two were not, police said.
The 16- to 18-foot canoe can typically hold two adults and a child, but contained four adult men on this trip. All four men are from Norwalk. The three who were rescued were being interviewed by the Nowalk Detective Bureau late Monday afternoon.
There was no indication that alcohol was a factor in the accident, but there was alcohol in the canoe, Resnick said.
Police did not release the names of any of the men.
Just before 3:30 p.m., first responders switched from a search-and-rescue mission to search-and-recovery mode, Resnick said.
He cited three problems in the accident: The victim did not have a life jacket, he could not swim and the water temperature was a chilly 58 degrees.
Side scan sonar was being used in a search pattern in the water in an attempt to locate the victim, Resnick said. It helps first responders to map the bottom of the Sound between Calf Pasture Beach and the island, he said.
While using the sonar, first responders thought they had found the victim but it was not a body, police said.
Memorial Day picnics continued at Calf Pasture Beach, with few beachgoers aware of the search for the missing man from the canoe.
Emergency responders included: three Norwalk police boats, one Norwalk fire boat, one Darien police boat, a Westport police boat and jet ski, and a U.S. Coast Guard boat and helicopter as well as the Norwalk police dive team, the Wilton police and fire dive team and the Westport police and fire dive team.
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