Father in Maine drowns while trying to rescue daughters from pond

A Maine man has drowned in a pond while trying to rescue his daughters, the Maine Warden Service said.

Henry Brooks, 46, of Hope, was at Seven Tree Pond in Union on Saturday afternoon watching his 12- and 13-year-old daughters swim when one of them fell into deeper water where the river enters the pond, the warden service said. The other daughter also fell into the deeper water trying to rescue her sister and both were swept out to even deeper areas of the pond.

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Brooks jumped into the water to rescue them, followed by his 27-year-old son, who grabbed a life jacket, the warden service said. The son swam to his sisters and brought them back to a nearby dock. When he looked back, he could not find his father, the warden service said.

Game wardens, fire and rescue crews and the local sheriff’s office searched the area by boat and foot but were unable to find Brooks. Three Maine Warden Service divers recovered Brooks’ body at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday approximately 50 feet from shore, not far from the dock. The children were brought to PenBay Medical Center in Rockport where they stayed overnight for observation.