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Press Releases

April 2, 2008

Maine Warden Service Suspends For the Day Search for Missing Snowmobiler

Millinocket - Winds gusts of up to 50 miles per hour forced the Maine Warden Service to suspend for the day a search for a missing Conn. man who went out snowmobiling at approx. 9:45 p.m. Monday on North Twin Lake outside Millinocket.

"The winds are too severe on the lake and are making conditions unsafe for wardens to operate boats and divers to go into the water," according to Captain Joel Wilkinson, Acting Major of the Maine Warden Service. "After consulting with the National Weather Service, we plan to resume the search tomorrow morning."

Approximately 20 wardens, including members of the MWS Dive Team, spent a couple of hours this morning making preparations for the search. But weather conditions forced the crews off of the lake.

"The airboat and other boats were deployed to the site, and divers were in gear ready to go in," Wilkinson said. "But the harsh weather was taking its toll on the equipment, freezing lines on tanks and making them inoperable."

The search for Mr. Edward Tessman, 42, of New Haven, Conn., began around midnight Monday when the Maine Warden Service was contacted by concerned family members who feared he was lost because he had not returned to a family camp. It was raining and foggy on the lake Monday night and Tuesday.

At approximately 2:30 a.m. Tuesday, after checking around the area of the lake where wardens were told Mr. Tessman was sledding, wardens found fresh tracks that ended at open water.

The MWS Dive Team was called to the scene from different locations throughout the state on Tuesday, and diving commenced just before noon.

The snowmobiler's sled was found in about 40 feet of water around 2:30 Tuesday afternoon.

Water conditions are bitterly cold and ice upon the lake is thinning and opening up. Divers yesterday were coming upon huge rocks and trees below the surface as they conducted the underwater search.

The search will resume in the morning.

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