Father drowns trying to rescue his two young daughters

UNION, Maine - The Maine Warden Dive Team recovered the body of a Hope man who drowned while rescuing his children.

Henry Brooks, 46 of Hope, was with his family at Ayer Park on Seven Tree Pond in Union a little after 4:30 p.m. on Saturday watching his 12- and 13-year-old daughters swimming in the water when one of his girls fell into the deeper water where the river enters the pond.

The other daughter attempted to rescue her, and also fell into the deeper water, where both were swept out by the currents to an even deeper portion of the pond.

Brooks, who was sitting at a picnic table watching his daughters, heard their cries for help, and jumped into the water to rescue them, and then was followed by his 27-year-old son, who grabbed a life jacket and jumped into assist.

The son was able to swim to his sisters, and bring them back to safety at a nearby dock, but when he looked back for his father he could not find him.

Game Wardens, Union Fire and Rescue and Knox County Sheriff's Office were called to the scene and searched the area by boat and foot but were unable to locate Brooks.

Three Maine Warden Service Divers were called to the scene, and after diving for a short period of time, they were able to locate and recover Brooks around 7:30 p.m. about 50 feet from shore in water that was seven feet deep, not far from the dock where his son brought the daughters to safety.

Brooks was brought to Halls Funeral Home in Waldoboro. His daughters and son were brought to PenBay Medical Center where they remained for observation Saturday night.