Maine Patrol acknowledges there were witnesses to what happened to Doreen Allen

Looking north from Stair Falls swimming hole where Doreen Allen, inset, drowned (Rochester Voice photo; inset/courtesy Allen family)

EAST ROCHESTER - A Rochester woman thought to have drowned in the Salmon Falls River last month was accompanied by a number of other people at the popular swimming hole off Stair Falls Drive the day the tragedy occurred.
Marine Patrol Sgt. Joshua Dirth, in an exclusive interview on Monday, told The Rochester Voice a "number of people" have been interviewed regarding what happened a little before 4 p.m. on July 7. He said some had been interviewed by Marine Patrol and others had been interviewed by Rochester Police detectives.
It should be noted that while Marine Patrol titled their initial press release on the death of 40-year-old Doreen Allen "Drowning on Salmon Falls River" and most media outlets reported it as such, the initial paragraph reads that NHSP communications "received a call regarding a 'possible drowning' on the Salmon Falls River."
Allen's family is also anxious to find out what led to her death.
"We just hope that we can get answers," family member Stephanie Paradis said last week.
Allen was pulled from the water by responders shortly after state 911 dispatch received a call around 4 p.m. the day Allen died.
She was taken to Frisbie Memorial Hospital where she was later pronounced dead.
The area where Allen drowned is a lazy part of the Salmon Falls River where children often cool off in the summer, neighborhood residents told The Rochester Voice.
The land where the Stair Falls development meets the river - less than a minute walk from the Stair Falls Drive cul de sac - is owned by the neighborhood's association. It is private land, but the association doesn't strictly enforce trespassers, said one local.
Several years ago, the area of the swimming hole was frequented by homeless individuals, but police chased them out, one Stair Falls Drive resident said.
Rochester Fire Chief Dennis Dube said that the location where Allen drowned was slightly north of where a beaten path from the cul de sac meets the river, but Dirth would not comment on the specific location where they responded after the 911 call.
Marine Patrol officials said post-mortem tests were performed on Allen, but they are still awaiting results. Dirth said beginning last year the results of what he called such "standard tests" have taken much longer to be processed.
Safety officials urged caution in the wake of the tragedy, but failed to cite any specific hazards. Dirth on Monday added that all swimming holes have inherent dangers that the public should be wary of, but failed to reveal any such risks at the one beneath Stair Falls Drive.
The swimming hole is a short distance from the Stair Falls Drive cul de sac in East Rochester near Keay Field and Crow Hill Drive.
Meanwhile, the family remains grief-stricken over their loss.
"She truly was such a kind human being," said Paradis said in late July. "And her ending isn't fair."
Anyone who witnessed the incident is encouraged to contact New Hampshire State Police - Marine Patrol Sergeant Joshua Dirth at Joshua.E.Dirth@dos.nh.gov or (603) 227-2115.