The only person who survived a late-night canoe outing that ended in the death of a 20-year-old college student is now facing charges, after authorities said alcohol was involved before the trip on the water became fatal.
Michael Collins, 20, of Mineola, New York, was arrested by Connecticut environmental police and charged with operating a boat under the influence in connection with the March drowning of Dominick Tocci, 20, of Woodstock, Connecticut.
According to investigators, Collins and Tocci had been drinking with friends before the pair got into a canoe and headed out onto Lake Hayward in East Haddam on the night of March 21.
What began as a late-night ride on the lake soon took a deadly turn when the canoe overturned, throwing both young men into the cold water.
Michael Collins, 20, was taken into custody by Connecticut environmental police on a charge of boating under the influence after a fatal canoe accident on Lake Hayward. (Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection )
FOX61 previously reported that someone living nearby heard cries for help, and good Samaritans later pulled Collins from the lake.
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Tocci disappeared beneath the surface, sparking a massive search involving the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s (DEEP) Environmental Conservation Police, Connecticut State Police drone and dive teams, local fire departments and other emergency responders.
After a multi-day search, crews recovered Tocci’s body from Lake Hayward the afternoon of March 23. Months later, EnCon Police sought an arrest warrant, alleging Collins had been operating the canoe while under the influence.
Collins turned himself in to EnCon Police on July 10, and he was arrested and charged with operating a boat under the influence. He was released on a promise to appear and is scheduled to appear in court July 23.
Authorities have not announced any additional criminal charges in Tocci’s death.
Lake Hayward in East Haddam, Conn., where a canoe capsized in March 2026, leaving 20-year-old Dominick Tocci dead. The lone survivor was later arrested on a boating under the influence charge. (Carol M. Highsmith/Buyenlarge/Getty Images)
News of Tocci’s death devastated his hometown of Woodstock, where friends, coaches and former teammates remembered the 20-year-old as a talented athlete whose larger-than-life personality left a lasting impression on everyone he met.
“We are so heartbroken at the loss of my stepson, Dominick, please keep us in your prayers,” a woman identifying herself on social media as Tocci’s stepmother wrote at the time of his death. “Such an amazing kid and will be missed forever.”
Dominick Tocci, the 20-year-old Connecticut man who drowned after a canoe capsized on Lake Hayward. (Gilman Funeral Home & Crematory)
Woodstock Little League, which Tocci played before graduating from the program in 2018, remembered him as “a bright and gregarious spirit” who “brought energy, laughter and kindness to everyone he met.”
“Dom was a beloved teammate and the type of kid that every coach would want in their dugout,” the league wrote. “Dom’s personality, warmth and enthusiasm touched everyone that he knew. Our hearts go out to his mom Lisa, his brother Vincent, his sister Antoinette and the rest of Dom’s family. Rest in peace, Dominick. You will be missed, but never forgotten.”
According to Tocci’s obituary, memorial donations were directed to youth baseball programs across Woodstock in his honor.
The arrest comes just weeks after DEEP launched Operation Dry Water, a nationwide enforcement campaign targeting boating under the influence over the Fourth of July holiday.
The agency noted that alcohol remains the leading known contributing factor in recreational boating deaths and reminded boaters that, under a Connecticut law that took effect in October 2025, a boating under the influence conviction can also result in the suspension of a person’s driver’s license.
“Every boater has a responsibility to help keep Connecticut’s waterways safe,” DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said in a statement announcing the campaign. “If you’re operating a boat this holiday weekend, stay sober, wear a life jacket, and make smart decisions that protect your passengers and everyone else on the water.”
INC News reached out to DEEP’s Environmental Conservation Police for additional information. It was not immediately clear whether Collins has retained an attorney.
