Two men drown in Chamberlain Lake

TOWNSHIP 6 RANGE 12 – Two men drowned Monday afternoon and one man escaped without injury after their boat sank on Chamberlain Lake in northern Maine.

A black Labrador retriever that was with the three men likely perished in the boating accident, which occurred just before 5:30 p.m.

Mark Latti, spokesman for the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, said Tuesday that Kevin Grant, 40, of Houlton, Douglas Harmon, 44, of Scarborough and Scott Valente, age unavailable, of Raymond were coming back from camping on the lake and were in a motorboat that was hauling a canoe.

The boat was loaded with camping and fishing gear.

“The motor died in the boat and the boat got turned around,” Latti said. “The wind was blowing hard at the time and started whipping waves over the boat, and it began to sink.”

Latti said Grant and Harmon put on life jackets while Valente grabbed onto a waterproof gear bag.

A couple with a camp on the lake came upon Valente as he clung to the bag and took him to shore.

The bodies of the other two men were recovered a short time later. The dog has not been found.

Warden Robert Johansen investigated the incident.

Latti said officials estimated that the two victims had been in the water for one to two hours.

He said that both men, whose bodies were taken to a funeral home in Millinocket, most likely died as a result of drowning brought on by hypothermia.