(WatchDogReport.org) – Tragically, a town manager from Maine lost his life while trying to save his 4-year-old child from a pond where they had fallen through the ice.
According to a Facebook post by the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, 51-year-old Kevin Howell of Carmel and his son were on a morning stroll when they crossed over part of a frozen pond when suddenly both broke through the ice at around 6:30 a.m. on Friday. Etna Pond was about a third of a mile away from their house.
Authorities noted that when Howell pulled his son out of the water, he told the youngster to get his mother. The youngster hurried back to his house and told his mother what happened. She quickly contacted emergency services and rushed to her husband’s aid, snatching up an anchor and rope en route.
After securing the rope to the beach, she began assisting her husband, but she accidentally broke through the ice and became stuck.
After receiving a 911 call, Detective Jordan Norton of the Penobscot Sheriff’s Office climbed onto the ice while clinging to the rope to reach Howell’s wife, who was submerged in the water. Despite his success in rescuing her, he could not locate Kevin.
One state police diver and six divers from the Maine Warden Service were dispatched to the location. Howell was located around twenty minutes after the search began, which was initiated at 1:40 p.m. by two warden service divers.
According to his profile on the Town of Carmel website, Howell and his wife relocated to Carmel in 2014. Howell’s hobbies included carpentry, growing his family’s hobby farm, and participating in outdoor sports. He was also an “avid cook.”
Howell played an active role in the state’s emergency medical services while serving as town manager and as a second EMS Blue Ribbon Commission member. Howell was also in charge of kid-friendly activities all year round, such as the neighborhood Halloween Trunk or Treat. He revitalized “Carmel Days,” the town’s yearly fair and parade, which now has kid-friendly activities like Touch a Truck Day.
The Parks and Recreation department and youth-related events were near and dear to Howell.
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