UPDATE – The Bodies of 2 Swimmers Located in Messalonskee Lake
The Maine Warden Service have found the bodies of two young men, who drowned on Monday while swimming in Messalonskee Lake.
Officials say the bodies of 21-year-old Brandon Breton of Vassalboro and 19-year-old Joseph Mayo of Rome were found on Tuesday morning, in about 35 feet of water. On Monday, a group of four young men had been swimming off a pontoon boat, at the southern end of the lake, near Greeley Island. When a strong gust of wind pushed the pontoon boat away from the group, two of the men were able to swim to it, but Breton and Mayo went under the water and never resurfaced.
Game Warden Lieutenant Dan Menard says swimmers need to be aware that the warm weather conditions don't translate to the water.
While the air temperatures may seem like summer, water temperatures are still cold, and they can impact your ability to swim. Boaters should wear their life jackets and swimmers should know their ability, and swim in areas appropriate for their experience.
Searchers used boats, a plane, and a Maine Forest Service helicopter to search for the men on Monday. Monday evening, the Warden Service dive team used sidescan sonar (pictured) to try and find the lost swimmers in the 80-acre area of the 3,500 acre lake. Likely objects were found by the sonar at around 2:00 Tuesday morning and were marked, so divers could inspect them closer at daybreak. Both men were located just after 8:00 Tuesday morning.
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