LITCHFIELD, Conn. — The community is in mourning after the death of a veteran Connecticut State Police sergeant who died after the remnants of Hurricane Ida flooded out the area he was patrolling on Thursday morning.
Sgt. Brian Mohl, a 26-year veteran with the Connecticut State Police, died after his vehicle was swept away by floodwaters in Woodbury early Thursday morning. He was the 25th line-of-duty death in the department’s history.
Mohl, who entered the State Police Training Academy in 1994, was assigned to Troop L in Litchfield.
RELATED: 'We lost another member of our family' | State Police Sgt. Brian Mohl dies in Woodbury floodwaters
“Troop L is part of the fabric of our community and the loss of Sgt. Mohl is just a tremendous loss to the town, Litchfield, and also to Woodbury and all the towns he protected and Troop L protects,” Litchfield First Selectman Denise Rapp told FOX61 News on Friday. “We are just so grateful that they are here for us behind the scenes.”
She continued: “That night, when everybody else was home hunkering down, he was out there looking out for us. There are no words that I can say, but we are grateful for his service to our town, to Woodbury and all of the state of Connecticut.”
On Friday, the Office of Chief Medical Examiner said Mohl died of blunt force trauma and rule it an accident.
Gov. Ned Lamont has directed the U.S. and state flags in Connecticut be lowered to half-staff.
Mohl was working an overnight shift during this week’s storm when he alerted Troop L that his vehicle had been swept away by water in the area of Jack’s Bridge and that he was in distress.
“That is the last they heard from him,” Col. Stavros Mellekas said Thursday.
At daybreak, with the help of helicopters, emergency personnel were able to locate his vehicle mostly submerged in floodwaters near Three Rivers Park. Mohl’s body was found submerged in the river waters.
Photos of CSP Sgt. Brian Mohl
The sergeant was taken via LIFE STAR to Yale New Haven Hospital. He died on the way.
“We lost another member of our family,” Mellekas said after announcing his death on Thursday.
The Connecticut State Police Union announced details of the official celebration of Sergeant Mohl’s life, service, and sacrifice next week.
- WAKE: Wednesday, September 8, 2021 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Xfinity Theatre.
- FUNERAL: Thursday, September 9, 2021 at 11 a.m. at the Xfinity Theatre.
Anyone interested in donating can do so via Venmo “@CSP-Union” or a check can be sent to the Connecticut State Police Union, with a notation stating “Sgt. Brian Mohl.” Donations can be mailed to: SGT. Brian Mohl Fund, c/o CSPU, 500 Main Street, East Hartford, CT 06118.
FOX61's Keith McGilvery contributed to this report.
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