PALERMO — Friday, Oct. 29, 2021, at approximately 8:30 a.m., Maine Warden Service divers recovered the body of a Pennsylvania man who had been missing since Wednesday night.

According to the Warden Service, it appears that Akshay Mamidela, age 25 of Delaware Water Gap, Pennsylvania, had taken a kayak onto Sheepscot Pond Wednesday evening, October 27, to retrieve a paddleboard that had drifted from the shore due to the high winds.

“While there were no witnesses, it appears that the Mamidela’s kayak capsized due to the extremely rough conditions, and Mamidela was not wearing a life jacket,” said MWS, in a news release.

Mamidela’s friend returned to the camp late that evening, noticed that both Mamidela and one of the camp’s kayaks were missing, and he called 911 at approximately 1 a.m., Thursday. Waldo County Sheriff’s office responded, and contacted the Maine Warden Service once it was determined that Mamidela had been out on the lake. Wardens and Sheriff’s deputies searched the shoreline and surrounding area that night but were unable to locate Mamidela.

Game Wardens were able to locate the capsized kayak and the paddleboard, Thursday morning, on shore approximately ¼ mile down the lake from where Mamidela was staying. The Maine Warden Service Dive Team launched the dive boat equipped with side scan sonar, and searched the area from the camp to where the kayaks were found.

Using the sonar on Thursday evening at about 6:45 p.m., game wardens located an area where they believed Mamidela was, but it was too dark to dive, according to MWS. Warden service divers began diving shortly after the sun was high enough this morning, and recovered Mamidela at approximately 8:30 a.m.