Update: July 9, 2023 (8 a.m.) — The Maine Warden Dive Team recovered the body of a Hope man who drowned while rescuing his children, according to the Maine Warden Service, in a July 9 news release.

Henry Brooks, 46, of Hope, was with his family a little after 4:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon at Ayer Park on Seven Tree Pond in Union watching his 12- and 13-year-old daughters swimming in the water when one of his girls fell into the deeper water where the river enters the pond. The other daughter attempted to rescue her, and fell into the deeper water, and both were swept out by the currents to the even deeper portion of the pond.

Brooks, who was sitting at a picnic table watching his daughters, saw what occurred and heard their cries for help, and jumped into the water to rescue them, and then was followed by his 27-year-old son, who grabbed a life jacket and jumped in to assist.

The son was able to swim to his sisters, and bring them back to safety at a nearby dock, but when he looked back for his father, he could not find him.

Game Wardens, Union Fire and Rescue and Knox County Sheriff’s Office were called to the scene and searched the area by boat and foot but were unable to locate Brooks.

Three Maine Warden Service Divers were called to the scene, and after diving for a short period of time, they were able to locate and recover Brooks at approximately 7:30 last night approximately 50 feet from shore in water that was seven feet deep, not far from the dock where his son brought the daughters to safety.

Brooks was brought to Halls Funeral Home in Waldoboro. His daughters and son were brought to PenBay Medical Center where they remained for observation last night.   

(Dec. 17, 2024 update: Brooks awarded Carnegie Medal for Heroism)  

Divers search for missing father who helped save girls from Union pond

UNION (July 8, 2023, 7:30 p.m.) — An adult brother and father jumped up from a park picnic table and entered the water to rescue their two young family members who were apparently caught in strong currents, Saturday afternoon, as the youths swam in 7-Tree Pond. But, after the brother pulled his siblings onto a dock, he turned around and realized that his father wasn’t behind him.

Three dive team members from the Maine Warden Service will use the remaining daylight hours Saturday evening to search and recover the father’s body. When they are no longer able to see anymore, they will return again in the morning and will be there as long as it takes to complete the search, according to Justin Fowlie, Sergeant in the Maine Warden Service.

Beginning with the 4:30 p.m., July 8, call to 911, Union Fire and Ambulance personnel rushed to the scene, bringing with them their fire department boat. For at least an hour, two personnel in the FD boat searched the broad area around where witnesses reported last seeing the man. (Three is the maximum amount of people that can ideally go in the FD boat. “We don’t want to capsize and become victims ourselves,” said Union Ambulance Director Jesse Thompson.) However, the visibility in the pond was limited, allowing the searchers to see only a couple of inches down, according to Thompson.

With divers en route from Damariscotta, and Union Fire searching the water, multiple Knox County Sheriff’s deputies arrived on scene and were flagged down to the location of the survivors on a side trail; the deputy who responded to the trail was then able to direct the ambulance crew to that location. The girls, ages 12 and 13, and their 27-year-old brother, were eventually transported to Pen Bay Medical Center to be checked for possible water inhalation.

As the search occurred, the park remained open and will continue to be so, during park hours, as long as people keep their distance and stay away from personnel and apparatus, according to Knox County Chief Deputy Curt Andrick, who also responded to the incident.

Neither Andrick, nor Thompson or Fowlie saw any reason to close the park on Sunday, and since Ayer Park is owned by the Town of Union, it would be up to the Town to close the area – based on recommendations of the Warden Service.

“When it comes to needing to close the park, we’ll close the park down,” said Fowlie. “And we’ll make sure people are notified.”

Thompson said he’s been with the Union Fire Department for 20 years, and this is the first drowning he’s aware of at Ayer Park.

Reach Sarah Thompson at news@penbaypilot.com