CARMEL, Maine — The manager of a New England town died after he saved his 4-year-old son from drowning in an icy pond, authorities said.
Kevin Howell, 51, of Carmel, Maine, was on a walk with his young son not far from their home when they both fell through the ice-covered Etna Pond on Friday around 6:30 a.m., according to the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.
Howell, who got his son out of the water and back onto the ice, then told his son to run home and notify his mother. She called 911 and attempted to rescue her husband with an anchor and rope but was unsuccessful.
“Upon reaching the shore, the mom secured the rope to the shore, then went to help her husband, but ended up breaking through the ice as well, and was unable to get out,” the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
Penobscot Sheriff Detective Jordan Norton heard the 911 call and responded to the scene. He hoisted the woman out of the water but there was no sign of Howell.
“Detective Norton got the mom back to the house and reunited with her son,” the sheriff’s office said.
Six Maine Warden Service divers and one Maine State Police diver later located Howell’s body after an hours-long search.
Howell and his wife, Katie, moved to Carmel in 2014. Their son, Sawyer, was born in June 2019, according to the Town of Carmel website.
“In his spare time, he enjoys woodworking, building cedar log furniture, working on and expanding his family hobby farm, and enjoying the outdoors with his wife and son including skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ATV trail riding, boating, fishing, and hiking,” the website stated. “He also is an avid cook and loves to whip up meals for family and friends.”
The incident remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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