July 9, 2026
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Clinton, Westbrook, & Old Saybrook Vol. XXIX Iss. 28
Lawsuit Filed in Fatal Old Saybrook Boating Crash By Greg Smith Special to Harbor News
The families of two of the three men killed in the Labor Day 2024 boating crash in Old Saybrook have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Lyme man who was operating the boat. The lawsuit names Clayton Hackling, 26, whom police said was intoxicated when his
31-foot boat, carrying nine people, slammed into the break wall at the mouth of the Connecticut River on the evening of Sept. 2, 2024. Killed in the crash were Christopher Hallahan, 34, of Westbrook; Ian Duchemin, 25, of Oakdale; and Ryan Britagna, 24, of Waterford. Six others, including Hackling, were pulled from the water near the wreck-
age and treated for serious injuries. The lawsuit, filed June 10 in New London Superior Court by the families of Duchemin and Britagna, alleges Hackling engaged in “willful, wanton, and reckless actions” by operating the boat at an unreasonable speed while intoxicated. See Lawsuit Filed page 6
Jessica Robison is working to keep SummerFest alive..........................2
Beachside Reunion Max Cordero, left, and Aneta Baldyga compare shells on a weathered fallen tree along the shoreline at Clinton Town Beach on July 5. Baldyga was visiting from out of town to catch up with her longtime friend during the holiday weekend.
Photo by Wesley Bunnell/ Harbor News
Top Honors Valley Regional-Westbrook baseball duo earns SCC’s top awards........11
A Nation Debates Ivoryton’s 1776 brings the birth of American independence to vivid life........................................20
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