Officials urge caution when swimming after Maine man drowned while trying to save daughters

By Braeden Waddell, Bangor Daily News Staff

After the Saturday drowning death of 46-year-old Hope man, state officials are warning swimmers to take caution in the water due to the recent rain. 

Henry Brooks drowned Saturday afternoon while trying to rescue his two daughters after they were swept away by a current in Seven Tree Pond in Union. His 27-year-old son was able to get the two girls to shore, but could not locate his father. Brooks’ body was recovered by divers  later that evening, according to the Maine Warden Service. 

After one of the rainiest months of June in at least a quarter century in Maine, state officials say rivers and lakes can be dangerous for swimmers, even if those who are familiar with the area and have swam there in the past. 

“This year, with all the rain, areas where there’s currents sometimes can be a little more treacherous than they would be during a normal summer, or a dry summer,” said Mark Latti, spokesperson for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. “People should be taking extra caution during high water, because it is a little bit different.”

Rivers, lakes and streams all have higher water levels than normal, Latti said, which can mean stronger currents especially in areas where bodies of water connect, like a river entering a lake. While his department hasn’t seen an overall increase in drowning deaths recently, Latti said people should still be taking caution when heading out for a swim.

“Swim with a partner, and make sure you’re swimming in an area that you’re comfortable with, that’s relative to your experience level,” Latti said. 

Just last week, Maine Warden Service divers recovered the body of a 16-year-old boy who drowned while swimming with family and friends at a Hancock County lake.

Brooks’ death is one of several since June across the U.S. involving adults drowning while saving children struggling in the water, according to CBS News.

A Chicago-area man drowned last week while helping a child who fell off a raft, and only a few days before another man drowned in Pennsylvania after rescuing two children who were struggling while swimming in a state park. Two other similar deaths occurred in Colorado and New Jersey earlier in June. 

These types of drownings, where a rescuer ends up becoming a victim, are unfortunately common, Latti said. “It’s always very difficult, but sadly it happens nearly every year,” Latti said.