Authorities are investigating the death of a man who drowned Sunday morning in the Connecticut River in Westmoreland.
According to the New Hampshire State Police, first responders were called to Ferry Road around 11:15 a.m. on October 19, 2025, after reports of a missing adult male. When they arrived, responders recovered the body of a deceased man near a capsized canoe.
The victim was identified as Cory Walker, 41, of Westminster Station, Vermont. Investigators say Walker often camped near the river and sometimes slept overnight in his canoe. The canoe was found capsized and anchored a short distance from the shore.
An autopsy conducted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Walker’s cause of death was accidental drowning. Officials said the death does not appear suspicious, though the circumstances surrounding the canoe’s capsizing remain under investigation.
Marine Patrol officers were assisted at the scene by members of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department, Westmoreland Fire-Rescue, Walpole Police and Fire, Spofford Fire & Rescue, Chesterfield Fire & Rescue, and the Water Rescue Task Force.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Marine Patrol Sgt. Nicholas Haroutunian at (603) 227-2112 or Nicholas.M.Haroutunian@dos.nh.gov.