Maine man, 88, dies after day of ice fishing when ATV breaks through ice

T9 SD BPP, HANCOCK COUNTY, Maine - An 88-year-old Waltham, Maine, man drowned last night when the side-by-side ATV he was a passenger in broke through the ice.

Floyd Hardison had spent the day yesterday ice fishing on Spring River Lake with his son and two grandsons, and they had packed up their gear, and were riding their ATVS back to their parked vehicles on the shore around 6 p.m. when the side by side ATV driven by Hardison's adult grandson broke through the ice some 400 yards from shore.

The grandson was able to free himself from the sinking ATV and get out onto the ice, but Floyd was unable to get himself out and sank to the bottom with the ATV.

Maine Game Wardens, along with the Hancock Sheriff's Office, and the Franklin and Sullivan Fire Departments responded to the scene. Rescue personnel located the hole where the side by side had broken through, and at approximately 8:25 p.m. a fire department member in a wetsuit retrieved Floyd's body which was still in the side by side in approximately 10 feet of water.

Utilizing the Warden Airboat, Game Wardens transported Hardison back to shore and he was transported to Jordans Funeral Home in Ellsworth.