Game Wardens respond to slew of emergency calls including ATV fatal

AUGUSTA, Maine - Maine Game Wardens responded to multiple emergencies yesterday, including a fatal ATV crash, stranded kayakers on the Dead River, an injured hiker on Tumbledown Mountain as well as multiple ATV crashes with personal injuries.

In Lincoln, speed, inexperience, and possibly alcohol appear to be the causes of a fatal ATV crash.

Shannon Brewer, 40 of Corrinna, was driving a 2020 Can Am Maverick 1000 side by side ATV with owner Michael Martin in Lincoln. Brewer was traveling on the Pierce Webber Road near upper pond at approximately 8:30 p.m. Brewer approached a 4-way intersection, lost control of the ATV and skidded over 50 feet before rolling the machine against a tree alongside the trail. Brewer was pinned between the tree and the ATV, and despites efforts by Martin to free her, he was unable to.

Martin called 911, and another ATV rider stopped to assist, but they were unable to free Brewer. The Maine Warden Service, Lincoln Ambulance, and Lincoln police responded to the scene, but Brewer died at the scene and was transported to Lampson Funeral Home in Lincoln. The accident remains under investigation, but it appears that excessive speed, inexperience and possibly alcohol are factors in the crash.

In Eustis, the Maine Warden Service rescued three kayakers on the south branch of the Dead River who had called 911 for help at 7:30 last night.

Kelly Dymond, 41 of Turner; Kristin Schrepper, 32 of Rumford; and Sylvie Long, 48 of Lewiston started kayaking down the Dead River from Coplin Plantation with the intent of kayaking to Flagstaff Lake. As they neared the lake, the river becomes extremely shallow and rocky, and unable to paddle in the shallow river, they had to drag their kayaks over the rocks down the river.

As darkness began to fall, and they became more exhausted, they called 911 seeking help. 911 Dispatch was able to pinpoint their GPS location through their cellphone, and provided the location to Warden Scott Stevens. Stevens contacted them by phone and directed them to travel downstream to where a power line crosses the river. Stevens accessed the river by the powerline, then walked upstream until he met the kayakers. Stevens assisted the kayakers off the river, then gave them a ride to their truck. The kayakers did not need medical attention.

In Weld last night, The Maine Warden Service rescued and carried down another injured hiker off Tumbledown Mountain.

Damon Thomas, 44 of Portland, had to be carried from the summit of Tumbledown Mountain down the length of the Brook Trail after he injured his ankle around 6 p.m. and was unable to walk down the mountain.

Game Wardens, Weld Fire Department, Wilton Fire, Franklin SAR and Mahoosuc search and rescue personnel started hiking to the summit of Tumbledown last night at 6:15 p.m., and upon reaching the victim near the summit, stabilized Thomas' ankle, placed him in a carrying litter, and carried him down the mountain. They reached the base of the mountain around 10:30 p.m., where they were met by NorthStar Ambulance, and Thomas was transported to Franklin Memorial Hospital.

In Standish last night at approximately 7 p.m., Maine Game Wardens responded to an ATV crash where one woman had to be transported by ambulance with injuries to her hip and leg.

Olson Staples, age 22 of Standish, was operating a Polaris Sportsman ATV on a trail behind the Milt Brown Road in Standish with Mariah Folsom, 22, of Steep Falls riding as his passenger. While traveling on the trail, the throttle on the ATV became stuck and they traveled approximately 100 yards before the ATV crashed and rolled over.

Both Staples and Folsom were wearing helmets. While Staples suffered only minor cuts and bruises, Folsom was transported by ambulance to Maine Medical Center with injuries to her hip and leg.

The incident remains under investigation.

In Kingsbury Plantation, the Maine Warden Service responded yesterday afternoon to an ATV crash where two people were injured.

At approximately 12:45 yesterday afternoon, game wardens stopped an ATV that was traveling on a public way. The rider alerted wardens that he was headed to camp to get his truck in order to transport his friends who were injured in an ATV crash where there was no cell service and they couldn't call for help.

Wardens went to the area of the crash, where an ATV had rolled over and injured Sonya Oliver, 26 of Westport, Mass; and Michael Menard, 25 of Tiverton, R.I. Both had minor lacerations on their body and soreness in their ribs. The pair were treated on scene by EMS personnel from Greenville's Mayo Hospital and did require transport to the hospital.

The crash remains under investigation.