PARLIN POND TOWNSHHIP, Maine – An off-duty game warden and his wife, along with Parlin Pond campowners, likely saved the lives of a father and two daughters whose boat capsized this afternoon.
Emily MacCabe was outside working this afternoon at a family cabin on Parlin Pond when she thought she heard someone screaming along the densely forested shoreline at about 1:30 p.m. After scanning the shoreline and listening more, Emily and her husband Game Warden Kris MacCabe thought they could see someone walking the shoreline, without clothes, screaming for help.
Kris MacCabe got his neighbor Don West, and then took West’s boat across to the shore where 14-year-old Kiana French of Skowhegan was screaming. Kiana told Kris their boat had capsized, and her sister and father were still out in the middle of the lake.
Kris placed Kiana in the boat of Ray Levesque, another camp owner who was helping, and then Kris and Don West traveled out to the middle of the lake approximately 1800’ from where they found Kiana and rescued Gary French, age 40, of Norridgewock and his daughter, Cierrah French, age 14 of Skowhegan, who were still in the water and hypothermic. MacCabe and West brought the trio to shore where they were taken to Levesque’s camp.
It appears that Gary and his two daughters, were out fishing on Parlin Pond when the weather worsened and the winds picked up. Waves started to crash over their 12’ aluminum jon boat, and they started taking on water. Despite efforts to bail the boat, the boat eventually capsized. The three placed on their lifejackets and attempted to swim to shore, but only Kiana was able to swim the 1800’ to shore, where she took off her clothes and started screaming for help. Emily MacCabe stated the only reason she saw Kiana was that her fair skin contrasted against the dark trees as she moved. Kiana said the took off her clothes because she thought she had seen it on a reality TV show.
The father and daughters were examined by EMS personnel, but did not need further treatment. Game Warden Tennie Colman and Jackman/Moose River Fire and Rescue were also arrived on scene.
No further information is available at this time.