BOSTON – The Coast Guard responded to a swimmer who went under and did not resurface near Oven Point in West Addington, Vt., Sunday at 11:18 a.m.
Deceased is Ray Petreccia 54, of Brooklyn, Conn.
Petreccia and his wife were swimming from a rowboat when he decided to touch bottom and resurface. Once he resurfaced, he went under a second time and did not come back up.
Coast Guard Station Burlington was notified on VHF/FM Channel 16 and responded with a 25-foot response boat that arrived on scene at 12:44 p.m.
Other assets involved were two Vermont Fish and Wildlife vessels, a customs and boarder patrol aircraft, one Addison Police Department vessel, and one Vermont State Police dive boat.
The state police dive team recovered the body around 75 yards from the initial scene of the incident.
“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Petreccia,” said Lt. j.g Ed Herbst, command duty officer at Coast Guard Sector Northern New England. “This is always a difficult outcome to accept when you’re in the business of saving lives.”
