Crime & Safety

Search Continues Wednesday For Missing Tuber [Update, 3:12 p.m.]

By John Fitts, Kaitlin McCallum and Jessie Sawyer

Update, Wednesday, June 19, 3:02 p.m.

Police, firefighters and emergency personnel got to the Rails to Trails area along Routes 4/179 near the Farmington River around 7 a.m. to continue searching for a missing tuber. 

As of about 1:30 p.m., Lt. Marshall Porter of the Farmington Police Department said that Nasir Alam, 25, was still missing. 

Crews still weren't able to launch boats in the river Wednesday afternoon, according to Porter, due to the treacherous conditions of high, fast-flowing water.

Friends who were tubing with him late Tuesday afternoon and family members waited near the staging area along the bike trail Wednesday for news about Alam. 

About 40 emergency responders, including Farmington police and firefighters from Tunxis Hose and Avon Volunteer Fire Department, are involved in the search operation.

Original Story

Emergency crews searched for a tuber missing from the Farmington River in Farmington until about 9 p.m. Tuesday.

Farmington police identified the missing tuber as Nasir Alam of East Hartford, 25. His parents have been notified, according to a press release. 

Lt. Colin Ryan said a group of seven tubers had entered the River at the junction of Routes 4 and 179 in Burlington Tuesday afternoon. 

Shortly before 4 pm a bystander heard calls for help in a rough stretch near River Road. 

Six tubers made it out with minor injuries but Alam was still unaccounted for at 9 p.m. Police said the search will resume Wednesday morning. 

Police said an extensive search for Alam was conducted along the banks of the Farmington River by Farmington and Avon fire and police but the high water and quick current made visibility impossible and the search was scaled back at 7:30 p.m.

Police and firefighters from Avon and Farmington searched along the river. At least one boat was at the staging area but high water makes it difficult to launch. 

"The water's pretty rough," Ryan said.
 
Officials have not given up hope, he added.
 
Crews were staged at the trail parking lot near River Road. 


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