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2 Duck Hunters Dead, One Rescued After Boat Flips In Westport River

WESTPORT (CBS) --- Two duck hunters have died after being pulled from the Westport River.

Westport Search
The overturned boat was found in Westport Harbor Tuesday morning. (Photo courtesy: (Scott Delsole / WPRI)

State Police say the hunters were in a boat on the river when it capsized Tuesday morning.

The Westport Harbormaster rescued two of the hunters a half-mile from the boat, the Coast Guard pulled the third from the water.

The deceased men have been identified as Steven James, 53, of Marshfield, and Robert Becher, 55, of Cromwell, CT.

The third duck hunter, identified as Gregg Angell, 51, of Westport, has been taken to Rhode Island Hospital with symptoms of hypothermia. The Bristol County District Attorney's office says Angell is expected to survive.

"It's tragic that this case resulted in two lives lost, and it is nothing short of miraculous that one hunter was saved," said Lt. Bryan Swintek, the Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England public affairs officer. "It took teamwork between the Coast Guard rescue crews and our interagency partners to get him to safety."

At the time of the rescue, the air temperature was eight degrees, the water temperature 35 degrees with 30-knot winds.

State Police troopers assigned to the Bristol County District Attorney's office are investigating.

duckhunters
Two duck hunters died after their boat flipped in the Westport River. (WBZ-TV)

Last week in Fairhaven, police searched for Dana Dourdeville of Marion after he failed to return from a duck hunting trip on Tuesday afternoon.

His missing kayak was found but Dourdeville is still unaccounted for.

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