NEWS
Maine Town Manager Dies Rescuing 4-Year-Old Son From Frozen Pond
Penobscot County Sheriff's Office
A town manager in Maine died Friday after rescuing his 4-year-old son when they both fell through the ice on a pond, officials said.
According to the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, Carmel Town Manager Kevin Howell, 51, went for a walk with his young son early Friday and as they crossed Etna Pond, both fell through the ice at around 6:30 a.m.
Howell saved his son, lifting him onto more solid ice, and told him to get his mother. The young boy ran about a third of a mile back to his home to notify his mother, Katie, who called 911. She told the boy to remain at the house, and she set off toward the pond, grabbing a rope and anchor on her way.
After reaching the pond, she secured the rope to the shore and tried to reach her husband, but she also fell through the ice.
Penobscot Sheriff Detective Jordan Norton arrived at the pond in response to the 911 call, and began crawling across the treacherous ice, holding onto the rope, the sheriff’s office said. He was able to pull Katie to shore, but could not find any trace of Howell.
The Maine Warden Service and the Carmel Fire Department responded to the pond to assist, and Norton returned Katie home to her son.
Six Maine Warden Service divers and one State Police diver responded, but by the time the ice diving equipment and dive tenders were set up, it was around 1:40 p.m. Two divers located Howell’s body shortly before 2 p.m.
Howell was a beloved member of the small community of Carmel, about 50 miles northeast of Augusta, and also served as a member of Maines second EMS Blue Ribbon Commission.
Mr. Howell was a visionary for his communitys development of a regional EMS system, Maine EMS said in a statement. We are very appreciative of his support for the Maine Bureau of EMS, the state of Maine and the kindness he showed his community and colleagues. Our deepest sympathies to his friends and his family.
TMX contributed to this article.
