Police investigate downtown drowning

The investigation into the death of a man whose body surfaced Thursday in the Kenduskeag Stream, near the State Street bridge, remains unresolved, according to Bangor police.

A hostage situation on Interstate 95 required more police attention and suspended the Kenduskeag Stream probe for the time being, said Detective Ronald Gastia.

But Bob Goodrich, assistant to the chief medical examiner in Augusta, said a post-mortem examination showed that the man’s death was “consistent with drowning” and showed no indication of foul play.

Lt. Brian Cox identified the man as Kevin Smith, 35, a resident of Moosehead Boulevard, Bangor.

Neale Smith, a driver for the city’s bus system and no relation to the victim, spotted the body while waiting to start his route and called The Bus supervisor, Joseph McNeil, at 6:20 a.m. McNeil called Bangor police.

The body was found face-down on a ledge on the Bangor Savings Bank side of Kenduskeag Stream near the abutment to the State Street Bridge. He was wearing white socks, no shoes, light gray slacks, a white and gray striped golf shirt. He had light red hair.

Onlookers numbering perhaps as many as 50 lined the rails of the State Street bridge and the Kenduskeag Plaza Bridge, and the shore by United Savings bank.

Police cordoned off the shore by Bangor Savings Bank.

Smith had worked sorting trash at Penobscot Energy Recovery Co. in Orrington in spring 1989 and as an employee with General Electric Co.

A native of Bangor, Smith reportedly had been employed previously by Sears, Roebuck and Co.