Sheriff Nick Cocchi speaks on search for missing man in the Connecticut River

CHICOPEE, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - The search continues for a missing man who authorities believe fell into the Connecticut River last week.

“We promise we will follow up on every single phone call, every single lead that comes in, and we will continue to do this until we have some closure,” Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi told us.

Police crews and dive teams are working to locate Daniel Callahan, an East Windsor, Connecticut resident whose car was pulled out of the Connecticut River a week ago in Chicopee.

Callahan was reported missing last Sunday, Hampden County Sheriff Nick Cocchi explains why their efforts remain unrelenting.

“We are committed as a first responding group, to helping recover Daniel’s body, to bring closure to the family, and to make sure we can bring some resolve and some peace and solace to a family that needs that more than ever right now,” he stated.

Cocchi added that as temperatures shift, water recovery attempts become increasingly challenging, with melting ice up north presenting a set of obstacles specific to this time of year.

“The decomposition of the body is gonna take more time, the buoyancy of the body won’t happen as quick as it would in the summer months. Even though the top of the water is warming, as you go down, 15-20 feet, the water down below is a lot cooler.”

While the community’s attempts to survey the river and contribute to the search are appreciated, he emphasizes that this work is best navigated by the professionals.

“The current is very, very powerful right now. To the point where it’s almost, and is at time, unsafe for divers to go into the water,” Cocchi said. “We certainly understand everybody wants to pitch in and support, and we’re very grateful for that, but trust me, the men and women who are trained in marine patrol and search and rescue, and the dive team efforts, they know what they’re doing and they’re doing a great job.”

Sheriff Cocchi advises, anyone with new information on the recovery effort should contact the Chicopee Police Department at (413) 592-6341.