On Tuesday, 07/18/2023, at approximately 5:23 PM, Quinebaug Valley Dispatch advised Connecticut State Police Troop E in Montville of a report of a mother and child lost in the Shetucket River in the Park Drive area of Sprague. State Troopers, members of several area Fire Departments and EMS responded to the scene.
During the search, an adult female and a female child were located in the river by rescue crews and life saving efforts were initiated on-scene. Both the adult female and the child were subsequently transported by ambulance to William W. Backus Hospital.
The adult female, positively identified as, Kelly Dora, DOB 07/02/1984, of Norwich, was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The child, identified as Aralye McKeever, Age 5, was later transported to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center in Hartford, where she was pronounced deceased on 07/19/2023. Next of kin have been notified.
Based upon initial investigative findings, foul play is not suspected and these incidents will be investigated by State Police as untimely deaths. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) was notified and will conduct an investigation to determine cause and manner of death.
These investigations are ongoing and this is all of the information available for release at this time.