A Waldoboro man who was last seen on Wednesday night en route from Waldoboro to Nobleboro was recovered from Damariscotta Lake today (January 14, 2010).

Tim York, 45, of Waldoboro, was last seen riding a snowmobile at approximately 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and was reported missing to the Maine Warden Service at approximately 9 a.m. today. He said he was going to travel by snowmobile from Waldoboro to Nobleboro on or near Damariscotta Lake.

The Maine Warden Service initiated a search for Mr. York this morning, and the search was conducted by air, along the shoreline and on the lake. A Maine Warden Service pilot spotted what was believed to be Mr. York’s snowmobile in the lake, and that area became the focus of the search. The sled was noticed through a hole in the lake’s ice.

Mr. York was located in that area by Maine Warden Service divers. His family has been notified.

Mr. York was taken to Halls Funeral Home in Waldoboro.

The Maine Warden Service was assisted by the Lincoln County Emergency Management Agency and its Communications System, the Jefferson and Newcastle Fire Departments, the Waldoboro Police Department, and Central Lincoln County Ambulance.

The Maine Warden Service tonight suspended its search for 18-year-old Richard “Shaw” Jackson of China after an extensive six-day search for the snowmobiler who went missing Friday night, Jan. 1, 2010, en route home from a snowmobile repair shop.

Col. Joel Wilkinson, chief game warden, said the decision to suspend the search was discussed with Mr. Jackson’s family this evening.

Col. Wilkinson said the case will remain open and an investigator will be assigned to it. A Maine Warden Service pilot periodically will fly over China Lake and the area to look for any sign of Mr. Jackson.

Also, the Maine Warden Service is telling snowmobilers to stay off the ice on China Lake because of the expanses of open water in many parts of the lake and thin ice in other areas. Equipment used on the lake during the search contributed to some of the ice thinning, but the lake “is opening up on its own,” according to MWS Lt. Kevin Adam, search-and-rescue coordinator.

“No snowmobiling is permitted,” said Lt. Adam. “Snowmobilers need to wait until there is an extensive cold spell to lock in the ice. It’s just not safe.”

Mr. Jackson, 18, a junior at Erskine Academy, was last seen Friday between 8 and 9 p.m. when he left Pinkham Corner Fuel in China and headed home on his black Yamaha snowmobile. The Maine Warden Service was notified at 6 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 2, 2010, that Mr. Jackson was missing, and an extensive search began during what later in the day became blizzard conditions that dropped 18 inches of snow in the area.

It was not known which route Mr. Jackson may have taken to get home. On Monday night, a Maine Warden Service pilot located from the air a set of snowmobile tracks that lead into open water on the west cove of China Lake. This area of the lake, approximately 300 acres, became a focal area for the search. There was no indication the tracks belonged to Mr. Jackson’s sled.

Col. Wilkinson and Lt. Adam said the search was suspended because cold weather conditions on the lake were putting searchers at risk, Also, the depth of the water, limitations of equipment in cold conditions, and the large search area were contributing factors in making the decision to suspend the search.

“In these conditions, it’s not feasible to do a water search,” according to Col. Wilkinson. “I’m not putting searchers at risk. Once the ice breaks, we’ll make a decision as to whether to send in the dive team to search the area.”

During the six-day search, the Maine Warden Service was assisted by members of 13 snowmobile clubs who traveled their clubs’ trails and searched camps, the South China Fire Department, Maine State Police and its investigations division, Maine Marine Patrol, Brewer Fire Department, and volunteers. New Hampshire Fish and Game helped in the search by sending over a team that used roving operating vehicle under the water.

A hovercraft, several airboats, airplanes, a helicopter, snowmobiles, and side-scan sonar equipment were used throughout the week.

“Mr. Jackson’s family was very appreciative of our efforts,” Col. Wilkinson said. “I would like to thank all of the people who gave of their time to try to find Mr. Jackson and bring him home to his family.”

Photo from fOTOGLIF

Maine Warden Service Urges Snowmobilers to Stay Off Ice on Parts of China Lake

The Maine Warden Service is urging snowmobilers to stay off the ice near the west basin of China Lake because it is too thin to hold snowmobiles.

Lt. Kevin Adam of the Maine Warden Service said there are areas around this part of the lake where there is ice, particularly near the shore, and there is open water out into the lake.

The Maine Warden Service is conducting a search using airboats and other equipment in the west basin of China Lake. Game Wardens are searching for 18-year-old Richard “Shaw” Jackson of South China, who was last seen on Friday night, Jan. 1, 2010. On Monday night, Game Wardens found tracks on the ice leading to open water at the west basin.

Lt. Adam said he’s overheard snowmobilers say they’ll be alright if they ride on the ice near the shoreline. They won’t, according to Adam. Equipment being used by the Maine Warden Service and weather conditions are thinning what little ice is there.

“Our airboats are creating waves that are weakening the ice and snowmobilers could go through it,” he said.

Emphasized at Snowmobile Safety Press Conference

AUGUSTA – Gov. John E. Baldacci today joined the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the Maine Snowmobile Association to promote snowmobiling in Maine and to emphasize safety and personal responsibility on the trails when out sledding.

During a press conference at the Hall of Flags, the theme “Ride Right, Ride Smart, Ride Responsibly” was accentuated in a new public service announcement produced by the Maine Warden Service and the Maine Snowmobile Association.

The PSA features Gerry James of Presque Isle, whose 22-year-old son, Brian, was killed in a snowmobile incident on April 11, 2009 in T9 R7 WELS, about six miles west of Oxbow in Aroostook County. Brian James, a member of the Maine National Guard, his brother and friends were taking their last ride of the season when the incident occurred.

Mr. James and his wife, Carol, attended the press conference to show support for the safety efforts of the Maine Warden Service. In the PSA, Mr. James stresses that tragedies can happen to any family, including his own.

“Sometimes bad things happen to good people,” Mr. James states in the PSA. “My son, Brian, came home from college for one last ride. He failed to negotiate a turn and struck a tree, which killed him instantly.”

Gov. Baldacci and MDIFW Commissioner Roland “Danny” Martin, who knew Brian, expressed their condolences to the James family.

“Mr. and Mrs. James wish they could talk to Brian some more about his love for sledding,” Commissioner Martin said. “Instead, they are here today to tell snowmobilers to be responsible and make it back home. The Jameses asked us to help them get a message out to all snowmobilers: No one should lose their life enjoying one of Maine’s most popular winter activities.”

Last year, the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife registered more than 99,000 snowmobiles. While the majority of sledders are safe on the trails, 97 people were injured and nine people were killed while snowmobiling during the 2008-2009 season.

Maine’s wide open spaces are a major draw for snowmobilers, and the majority of its snowmobile trails are maintained by about 300 snowmobile clubs statewide.

“It’s no secret. Mainers know the state’s 13,000 miles of trails are the best in the Northeast, and thousands of people from around the country travel here to enjoy them, too,” said Gov. Baldacci. “If you haven’t tried snowmobiling in Maine, you should. Maine is the place to sled.”

Col. Joel Wilkinson of the Maine Warden Service stated that game wardens will be on the trails this season to educate sledders with safe riding tips, and to patrol them for law infractions.

Among the tips offered to snowmobilers are: Don’t drink and ride; wear a helmet; ride to the right on marked trails; ride at a reasonable speed for conditions; bring emergency provisions, including extra batteries if carrying a cell phone or flashlight; leave an itinerary with someone, including when you expect to return and what route you’re taking.

The public service announcement may be viewed at www.youtube.com/mefishwildlife. Select “snowmobile safety.”

Ice fishing season is almost here!

Our regional fisheries biologists preview the upcoming season in their annual Ice Fishing Preview. This is an informative guide to what fish have been stocked and where, and biologists’ picks of great ice fishing hot spots!

To view the preview on our website, visit http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/reports/weekly_biologist/index.htm

For a printable pdf version, select this link: http://www.maine.gov/ifw/fishing/reports/pdfs/2010icefishpreview.pdf

Happy Fishing!

Photo from fOTOGLIF

AUGUSTA – The Maine Warden Service is urging people to not venture out onto any ice that may be covering Maine’s waterways.

Throughout Maine, the state’s lakes and ponds may appear to be frozen in parts or their entirety, but safe ice conditions cannot be assumed even though temperatures have been below freezing in recent days and at night. Also, any snow covering thin layers of ice acts as insulation and slows the freezing process.

“There are no safe ice conditions anywhere in the state right now,” said Col. Joel Wilkinson, chief warden of the Maine Warden Service. “I understand that people are anxious to begin winter activities, such as ice fishing and snowmobiling. But don’t risk your life or the lives of others by traveling onto thin ice.”

As the temperatures continue to fall in the coming weeks, and the ice begins to thicken, the Maine Warden Service is recommending that people check the thickness of any ice before venturing out for any activity on frozen water.

If you must go on the ice this winter, the Maine Warden Service offers these tips for ice safety:

· Never guess the thickness of the ice – Check it! Check the ice in several different places using an auger or some other means to make a test hole and determine the thickness. Make several, beginning at the shore, and continuing as you go out.

· Check the ice with a partner, so if something does happen, someone is there to help you. If you are doing it alone, wear a lifejacket.

· If ice at the shoreline is cracked or squishy, stay off! Watch out for thin, clear or honeycombed ice. Dark snow and dark ice are other signs of weak spots.

· Avoid areas with currents, around bridges and pressure ridges. Wind and currents can break ice.

· Parents should alert children of unsafe ice in their area, and make sure that they stay off the ice. If they insist on using their new skates, suggest an indoor skating rink.

If you break through the ice, remember:

· Don’t panic.

· Don’t try to climb out immediately – you will probably break the ice again. Reach for solid ice.

· Lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard. This will help lift your body onto the ice. Once on the ice, roll, DON’T WALK, to safety.

· To help someone who has fallen through the ice, lie down flat and reach with a branch, plank or rope or form a human chain. Don’t stand. After securing the victim, wiggle backwards to the solid ice.

A Pennsylvania couple that left a Greenville area hotel on Thursday morning for a snowmobile ride was found this afternoon in Moosehead Lake, according to the Maine Warden Service.

Clifford Achenbach, 41, and Denise Achenbach, 42, from Pen Argyl, Pa., left the Moose Mountain Inn in Moosehead Junction Township, north of Greenville, on Thursday, March 16, to ride on trails north of the town, and told a hotel attendant they were going “exploring” Maine’s outdoors.

The couple was located at approximately 12:45 p.m. today (March 23, 2009) on Moosehead Lake above the East Outlet dam by a Maine Forest Service helicopter that was manned by MFS Forest Ranger Pilots Shawn Rogers and Lincoln Mazzei and MWS Sgt. Bill Chandler and Game Warden Mike Morrison.

Mr. and Mrs. Achenbach were recovered from Moosehead Lake shortly before 4 p.m., and transported to Crosby Funeral Home in Guilford, where they will be evaluated Tuesday morning.

The Achenbachs’ family was notified of the deaths when it arrived in Greenville from Pennsylvania after 4 p.m. today. Maine Warden Service Chaplain Kate Braestrup was available to help the family.

The Achenbachs had checked into the Moose Mountain Inn on March 16, and planned to stay until Saturday, March 21. Earlier in the week, Mr. Achenbach told a hotel worker that the couple had ridden to Pittston Farm and Northeast Carry.

The Maine Warden Service received the missing persons report at 7:30 a.m. today, March 23, 2009. Family members in Pennsylvania, concerned that the couple had not arrived home over the weekend, called the Piscataquis County Sheriff’s Office, which notified the Maine Warden Service.

Fifteen Game Wardens and two MWS aircraft searched for the couple. The Maine Forest Service assisted in the search with its helicopter because that aircraft is able to position itself closer to bodies of water.

The area where the couple was located today has been the scene of snowmobile-related fatalities in the past, according to MWS Lt. Pat Dorian. Open water and thin ice are normal conditions here as the water is continuously moving due to the following reasons: Moosehead Lake feeds into the East Outlet of the Kennebec River, creating headwaters; and as winter progresses, water is drawn down to feed the Dam at East Outlet, a hydroelectric generator. If a snowmobiler is unfamiliar with the area, they could encounter thin ice or open water as close to a quarter-mile before the dam.

Some of the fatalities have occurred at night, according to Lt. Dorian. Snowmobilers are drawn to the lights on the dam and at sporting camps on the other side of the dam. Sledders focused on heading towards the lights to get off of the lake may have believed they would be traveling on solid ice towards shore, only to encounter thin ice or open water, the Lieutenant said.

The time of the Achenbachs’ deaths is not known, according to Lt. Dorian.

Eight people have died in snowmobile-related incidents this season, which began mid-December 2008.

Photo courtesy of Maine Warden Service
The bodies of Clifford and Denise Achenbach of Pen Argyl, Pa., were located and recovered from Moosehead Lake near the East Outlet dam on Monday afternoon, March 23, 2009. (To the right is Route 15. Near the top of the photo you can see the East Outlet dam.)

Photo courtesy of Maine Warden Service
Maine Warden Service Game Wardens travel by airboat during recovery mission on Moosehead Lake.

Photo courtesy of Maine Warden Service
Maine Warden Service Game Wardens Mike Favreau, Dan Carroll and Eric Dauphinee begin the recovery of Clifford and Denise Achenbach of Pen Argyl, Penn.

Tom Remington

Readers interested in Maine fish and game activities, the March Edition of “The Insider” is available to read by following this link.

In this edition you can get information about the new process to apply for a chance at a moose permit, great stuff about monitoring efforts of Maine’s hibernating black bears, tons of news, information and reports, including the latest ice fishing reports from all the regions around the state.

Tom Remington

A New Hampshire man reported missing by a friend after he failed to return to her Brownville home as planned on Sunday called his friend late this afternoon, February 24, 2009, to say he was OK and on his way back to her house.

Kevin O’Neal, 44, of Seabrook, N.H., had told his friend on Saturday, Feb. 21, that he would be snowmobiling from Pittston Farm via Kokadjo to Millinocket to meet friends there, and that he would be back in Brownville on Sunday, according to MWS Lt. Pat Dorian.

The Maine Warden Service received a missing persons report at 10:15 a.m. today, and was informed that Mr. O’Neal was last seen at Pittston Farm between noon and 2 p.m. Saturday.

Mr. O’Neal left his vehicle and trailer at a friend’s house in Brownville, and set out snowmobiling on a bright light blue older model 800 Polaris snowmobile on Saturday morning.

Upon receiving the emergency call, the Maine Warden Service initiated a massive search from Mr. O’Neal on Monday morning. A MWS pilot flew for more than three hours checking snowmobile trails from Pittston Farm to Kokadjo, from Kokadjo to Millinocket, and from Brownville to Pittston Farm. At least 10 Game Wardens searched main snowmobile trails, many that had not been broken open yet since Sunday/Monday’s snowstorm. Snow in many locations still is four to five feet deep.

The friend notified the Maine Warden Service late this afternoon that Mr. O’Neal had called from Big Lake Equipment, a snowmobile repair shop in Greenville, and was en route back to Brownville. She told the Maine Warden Service that Mr. O’Neal had been snowmobiling the last few days and may have stayed with friends along the way, according to Lt. Dorian.

MWS Game Wardens were en route to speak to Mr. O’Neal this evening. The incident remains under investigation.

Posted by Tom Remington

A 35-year-old Westport Island man was able to use his cell phone to call for help after falling through thin ice on his snowmobile this afternoon, Feb. 24, 2009.

Roger Mackbach, 35, of Westport Island, was alone when he was driving his snowmobile on Stony Brook in Pittston at approximately 4:15 p.m. today. Mr. Mackbach came off of his seld when it broke through thin ice in approximately four feet of water, according to MWS game Warden Doug Kulis.

Mr. Mackbach, who has one arm, was able to stand in the water and used his cell phone to call for help. He was in the water for approximately 35 minutes before he was rescued by Gardiner Rescue.

Mr. Mackbach suffered mild hypothermia and was transported to Maine General Hospital.

Posted by Tom Remington

A 68-year-old Lily Bay man died today (Feb. 24, 2009) from injuries he suffered in a snowmobile incident on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009.

Paul Tibbetts, 68, of Lily Bay, was snowmobiling with his five nephews on a groomed trail four miles from Kokadjo, at approximately 1:30 p.m. Sunday when he missed a turn on the trail and struck a snow bank located just off the trail, according to MWS Lt. Pat Dorian.

Mr. Tibbetts was thrown over the front of his snowmobile and landed on his back. He was wearing a helmet. His nephews performed first aid and transported their uncle to C.A. Dean Memorial Hospital in Greenville. He was treated there and transferred to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor.

The Maine Warden Service was contacted by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner at 1:30 p.m. today requesting a report on this incident. According to Lt. Dorian, this was the first notification of the incident received by the Maine Warden Service.

The incident is under investigation. Mr. Tibbett’s death is the sixth snowmobile-related fatality this season.

Posted by Tom Remington

Two Glenburn men who were returning to Nicatous Lodge near Burlington to retrieve a cell phone they had left there became stranded on a snowmobile trail during the snowstorm last night (Feb. 22, 2009) and had to be rescued by the Maine Warden Service.

Game Warden Bruce Loring received a call at 8:45 p.m. Sunday that two men driving a Toyota pickup truck were stuck in the snow on a snowmobile trail on 25000 Road in T34. The 25000 Road, off Stud Mill Road, is partly plowed in the winter and then becomes a snowmobile trail.

The rescue took approximately four hours because of the winter storm that was underway and the location where the men eventually were found. Warden Loring said the snow was falling heavily and visibility was zero, and the trail conditions were treacherous.

“The wind was driving and the snow was coming down in a steady sheet,” according to Warden Loring. “I had to stop to make sure that I was still on the trail several times, and I drove off it several more times. The only way I could navigate is with my GPS unit that I mounted on my sled.”

According to Warden Loring, Steve Goodell, 34, and Mike Noyes, 26, said they thought the quickest route to the lodge would be via the 25000 Road. But that is not a passable road during winter months. The men told Warden Loring that at one point they were stuck in the snow for two hours, but that they were able to dig out the truck and continue. They also said there was no place for them to turn around the vehicle and head back to the Stud Mill Road.

Warden Loring reached the men via snowmobile. The men were located in the truck, which belongs to Mr. Goodell, approximately 10 miles down the road near Deer Lake. Each was wearing a sweatshirt, pants and shoes, but they did not have the proper attire for winter weather conditions. They also had a dog with them.

Warden Loring said that by the time he located the men, Mr. Goodell’s truck was running but almost out of gas. The tank would have been empty in a matter of minutes, according to Warden Loring. Also, the battery on the cell phone they had with them had died.

Warden Loring gave the men extra coats, gloves and gear he had brought with him. Also, he filled the truck with six gallons of gas he carried with him on his sled. One man and the dog were brought out of the woods on Warden Loring’s snowmobile to the warden’s truck while the other man stayed warm inside the Toyota truck. Then Warden Loring picked up the other man. Both men were given a ride to Brewer.

Mr. Goodell’s truck still is on the trail. Mr. Goodell was cited for operating a motor vehicle on a snowmobile trail.

Posted by Tom Remington