A town manager drowned Friday — but not before rescuing his 4-year-old son after they both plunged through the ice of a Maine pond.
Kevin Howell, 51, and his son Sawyer were on an early morning walk across a portion of Etna Pond when the ice collapsed beneath their weight, according to the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office.
Howell heaved Sawyer out of the frigid waters, instructing him to run the 0.3 miles back to their Carmel house and get his mother.
The youngster heroically made the journey to his mother, who called 911 and rushed to help her husband, grabbing an anchor and rope on the way, police said.
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After securing the rope to shore and racing across the ice to reach Howell, the wife then tragically broke through the ice herself and was unable to get out.
Kevin Howell was walking across the Etna Pond with his young son when the ice collapsed beneath their weight. Town of Carmel
Fortunately, the Penobscot sheriff arrived shortly after and successfully rescued Howell’s wife by crawling across the ice and using the same rope she had fastened moments earlier.
Howell, however, had vanished beneath the surface.
His body was recovered by divers shortly before 2 p.m., just 20 minutes after they entered the water and nearly 8 hours after Howell broke through the ice.
At the time of his death, Howell was serving as the town manager for Carmel, a town nearly 100 miles northeast of Lewiston.
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After securing the rope to shore and racing across the ice to reach Howell, the wife then tragically broke through the ice herself and was unable to get out. YouTube/ NEWS CENTER
He had held the position since 2015 and was awarded several accolades for his work in town government, including the town Leadership award in 2020, according to Carmel’s website.
Several town employees changed their Facebook profile pictures to an image of the town’s emblem, along with a black ribbon to represent mourning, in the hours following the tragedy.
Howell also served as a member of Maine’s second EMS Blue Ribbon Commission.
“Mr. Howell was a visionary for his community’s development of a regional EMS system. We are very appreciative of his support for the Maine Bureau of EMS, the state of Maine and the kindness he showed his community and colleagues. Our deepest sympathies to his friends and his family,” Maine EMS said in a statement.
Etna Pond Etna Pond covers about 361 acres and has a depth of 12 feet and is a popular spot for ice fishing and skating.
PORTLAND (WGME) — A seasonably cold air mass will continue to impact temperatures through the end of the week.
All eyes will turn to the backend of the weekend with the possibility of a powerful storm that is passing a few hundred miles offshore on Sunday.
Wednesday planner.{ }(WGME)
On Wednesday, the sun will be present with highs near 20 degrees.
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The snow on the ground will make things very bright, so don’t forget your sunglasses!
Boston forecast.{ }(WGME)
The Boston Celtics have a home game Wednesday night at 7:30 PM for travel purposes.
By Thursday, it will be more of a mixed bag of both sun and clouds with similar temperatures.
The next chance for some snow showers will be inland and in the mountains on Friday morning.
Weekend forecast.{ }(WGME)
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For the weekend, Saturday will be the brightest day, yet the coldest.
Our Weather Authority team continues to closely monitor the track of a powerful storm that is passing a few hundred miles offshore on Sunday.
As of midweek, the track will either have Maine under its extreme western edge with some snow or a miss heading out to sea.
There are two scenarios that the storm could take, the first being a large storm track.
If the storm’s center passes off the coast of Cape Cod, we could be looking at a classic blizzard situation with snow and wind.
The second scenario and the more likely of the two, out to sea. The storm may end up cutting in the middle of these two, bringing snow to mostly coastal spots.
This large storm and its track is being watched very closely as any shift in the track will result in major changes to the forecast. Stay tuned.
Cold start to February.{ }(WGME)
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The first week of February is set to continue with those below-normal temperatures.
Do you have any weather questions? Email our Weather Authority team at weather@wgme.com. We’d love to hear from you!
Windham players celebrate a 3-pointer during a preseason game against Edward Little at South Portland High School game on Nov. 29, 2025. (Brianna Soukup/Staff Photographer)
This is the sixth Varsity Maine boys basketball poll of the season, and the No. 1 ranking has changed each time. Windham is back at No. 1 after a big win over No. 4 South Portland. The Eagles, who have won 12 straight, were previously ranked No. 1 in the winter’s first poll.
Windham and last week’s No. 1, Camden Hills, have both topped the poll twice. Sanford and South Portland have each spent one week in first.
The team responsible for this week’s No. 1 switch, Cony, jumped three spots to No. 6 after dealing Camden Hills its first loss on Saturday and upending No. 8 Gardiner last Tuesday.
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Medomak Valley rejoins the poll after a few weeks away, and Hermon is ranked for the first time this season.
The Varsity Maine boys basketball poll is based on games played before Jan. 27, 2026. The top 10 teams are voted on by the Varsity Maine staff, with first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points.
BOYS BASKETBALL
1.
Windham (6)
86
2.
Sanford
77
3.
Camden Hills (3)
76
4.
South Portland
56
5.
York
49
6.
Cony
43
7.
Brunswick
30
8.
Gardiner
22
9.
Medomak Valley
12
10.
Hermon
10
Poll compiled by Assistant Sports Editor Bob Aube.
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Lee Horton is the Varsity Maine Editor for the Maine Trust for Local News. He joined the Sun Journal as assistant sports editor in July 2016, then served as sports editor from May 2018 to May 2024. Prior…
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One of Maine’s two casinos is suing the state’s gambling control unit director over legalizing online casino games exclusively for the Wabanaki Nations.
Gov. Janet Mills decided earlier this month to allow Maine’s four federally recognized tribes to offer “iGaming.” Oxford Casino is challenging that decision in Maine’s U.S. District Court, accusing the state of unlawfully granting a monopoly for online casino gaming.
“Promoting iGaming through race-based preferences deals a gut-wrenching blow to Maine businesses like Oxford Casino that have heavily invested in the State and its people,” the lawsuit reads.
The casino is accusing the state of violating the Equal Protection Clauses of both the United States and Maine Constitutions, against discrimination based on race, according to the lawsuit, which was filed Friday.
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The lawsuit also states that the casinos could lose millions in revenue and hundreds of employees after the law goes into effect.
Oxford Casino and Hollywood Casino in Bangor opposed the iGaming bill, citing the potential for job losses. Other opponents included the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention as well as the chair of the state’s gambling control board.
The law will take effect 90 days after the Legislature adjourns this year, but state officials say there is no concrete timeline for when the new gambling options will become available.
This is a developing story.
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Morgan covers breaking news and public safety for the Portland Press Herald. Before moving to Maine in 2024, she reported for Michigan State University’s student-run publication, as well as the Indianapolis…
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