The Maine Warden Service says the body of an Oxford County man who appeared to have fallen out of his boat while fishing and drowned was recovered from a pond.
Searchers say the body of 55-year-old Thomas Averill of Roxbury was pulled from Ellis Pond Wednesday morning.
Ellis Pond is also known as Silver Lake and Roxbury Pond. It is located in the towns of Roxbury and Byron.
A search of the water began Tuesday evening when people on shore spotted the boat with no driver wedged against the shore of an island. They then saw movement in the water and cries for help.
Averill’s body was recovered around 8:30 a.m. by game warden divers in about 10 feet of water 200 feet from shore.
Averill was not wearing a life jacket at the time, though one was found on the boat.
“It appears that Averill was out fishing, and fell out of his boat while not wearing a life jacket when the boat was still in gear and moving forward,” said Game Warden Sergeant Kyle Hladik. “Tragically, this is another incident where wearing your life jacket could have saved a life.”
