WEST HAVEN, Conn. — A man who tried to drown two small children on a Connecticut beach early Saturday morning was thwarted by police officers, authorities said.
An officer spotted an SUV parked on a West Haven beach around 2:30 a.m. and heard “significant screaming” from the water as it approached. When the officer entered the water, the man continued to float away with the two children, shouting, “Stay back!” according to a social media post from West Haven Police.
It had become clear that the man was “intentionally drowning his children,” the post said.
The responding officers went nearly 300 feet (91 meters) offshore and were joined by other rescuers on a fire boat.
The first officer to arrive was able to take the children and other officers helped take them to shore. Life-saving measures were taken for the children and they were taken to a hospital, where they remained in intensive care on Saturday, according to police.
The man was in custody. It was not clear Saturday whether he had an attorney.
“It is without a doubt the quick response of our police officers that saved the lives of these children,” police said in the post.
A call was made to police seeking information on possible charges and additional information.
The incident is still under investigation.