Rehoboth man body found

Rehoboth man's body found in Stafford Pond

2:16 PM Tue, Aug 05, 2008

A search team has recovered the body of a man who somehow left his boat Sunday in Tiverton's Stafford Pond, according to Gail Mastrati, spokeswoman for the Department of Environmental Management.

Joseph Traficante, 38, of Rehoboth, Mass., was on the pond fishing with his girlfriend when a storm rolled in. As they headed back to the dock, Traficante somehow ended up in the water, according to investigators.

Authorities say that at about 7 p.m. on Sunday, Traficante went into the water; they do not believe he fell, but they do not yet know why he left the boat. His grilfriend, Brandi Hurst, called 911 when Traficante did not emerge from the water. Then she put on a life jacket and went in after him, but could not find him.

Tiverton firefighter Gerald Leduc died of a heart attack during the initial phase of the search. Leduc, 52, was a certified diver and had conducted similar rescue operations in the past. He had worked with the Tiverton force in different capacities since he was 16.
Traficante's body was in the vicinity of a specific search area that was narrowed down with help from Hurst.

Traficante's body was found shortly after noon today in about 20 feet of water, according to Mastrati.The body was about 100 to 125 yards off the west shore of the pond, and about a quarter mile north of a water treatment facility.
The body is being turned over to the state medical examiner.