Authorities say the deaths of Deborah Wedge, Nancy Evelyn Andrews, and Rachel Caitlin Crisp under investigation.
Jul 13, 2026
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HANCOCK COUNTY—Three women with associations with Mount Desert Island have died in bodies of water in the last ten days.
All three deaths are considered to be related to drownings and/or medical events. None are considered suspicious. All are being investigated.
Two of the women died this weekend. Another woman died July 2.
There have been several drownings since 2024.
In 2024, a New Hampshire man had drowned in Clark’s Cove. Gregory Taylor was 20 when he drowned and his body was recovered by the Maine Marine Patrol/State Police Underwater Recovery team.
In July 2024, Dr. Dennis Weber, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was found by Acadia National Park personnel after a two-hour search. Dr Weber had been reported missing while kayaking. He was located near The Thrumcap, which is a small island near Seely Road in Bar Harbor.
Earlier this year, Christian Leveron, 24, of Annapolis, Maryland, was believed to have been trapped on Bar Island, January 28. He was found in the water of Frenchman Bay the next day. Acadia National Park was in charge of the investigation about the death.
BEECH HILL POND
On Sunday, Tremont resident Deborah Wedge, 67, died in Otis at Beech Hill Pond.
Hancock County Regional Communication Center initially received a 911 call that a woman was in the pond and unresponsive. The call came in shortly before 4:30 p.m.
People in the area took Wedge out of the water and began CPR. First responders from the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, Maine Warden Service, the Otis/Mariaville Fire Department, and Northern Light Ambulance arrived and continued the bystanders’ efforts.
Wedge was pronounced deceased at the scene.
“Based on the investigation conducted thus far, it is believed that Wedge suffered a medical event while in the water. There is no indication of suspicious circumstances or foul play,” the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release. The Hancock County Sheriff’s Office is the primary investigating agency.
IKES POINT
On July 11, emergency crews from multiple agencies responded to Ikes Point, which is located in Mount Desert on Echo Lake.
According to scanner traffic, Nancy Evelyn Andrews, a writer, filmmaker, and professor at the College of the Atlantic, was taken from the water after being seen in the water unresponsive for approximately 30 seconds.
According to her website, Nancy’s “work has been presented by the Museum of Modern Art, Pacific Film Archive, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Anthology Film Archives, Jerusalem Film Festival, Flaherty Seminar, Nova Cinema Bioscoop, Brussels, Belgium, and Taiwan International Animation Festival, among others; and is in the film collection of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and six of her films are in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art.”
She received grants and fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, John Simon Guggenheim Foundation, LEF New England Moving Image Fund, Illinois State Arts Council, among others.
“Emerita professor Nancy Andrews’ innovative teaching and celebrated artistic work were central to the development of College of the Atlantic’s film and media arts program during her quarter-century career at the college. We are deeply saddened by the news of her passing, and our hearts go out to her family and loved ones. Her imagination, humor, and creative rigor will remain a lasting part of COA’s artistic life,” College of the Atlantic’s Communications Director Rob Levin said Monday.
The boat launch area on Ikes Point is owned by Acadia National Park and a popular place to launch kayaks, canoes, and small boats. Acadia National Park is the lead investigating agency.
According to the National Park Service, rangers as well as “Mount Desert Fire and EMS responded to an incident involving a 61-year-old woman at the Echo Lake/Ikes Point Boat Launch in Acadia National Park. She had been swimming in Echo Lake and was exiting the water when she experienced a medical emergency.”
The National Park Service said via email that bystanders immediately began CPR . Emergency responders were simultaneously dispatched.
“Despite lifesaving efforts, the woman was pronounced deceased at the scene by Mount Desert Fire and EMS personnel following consultation with medical direction at Mount Desert Island Hospital,” the NPS wrote.
SOMES POND
Rachel Caitlin Crisp, 36, died in the late afternoon of July 2, at Somes Pond in Mount Desert.
Crisp was on Mount Desert Island working for Acadian Boat Tours. A naturalist and artist from Henderson, North Carolina, the 36-year-old woman was a life scout in the Girl Scouts of America.
Her obituary reads that she died in a swimming accident. The medical examiner has not yet sent the Bar Harbor Police Mount Desert Department official cause of death information.
The initial call came over scanners as a possible “drowning or near drowning.” Police and ambulance staff from Bar Harbor and Mount Desert responded. Emergency responders were in the area at 5:30 p.m.
Somes Pond is west of Somesville’s center. Somesville is a village of Mount Desert. Nearby roads include the Pretty Marsh Road (Route 102) and Oak Hill Road.
In a social media post, Acadian Boat Tours wrote, “Our customers had the benefit of Rachel’s joy in the outdoor environment, her humor and magical storytelling, and her passion for communicating the wonder of nature to other people. Rachel made customers feel at home with her bright, easy smile and the magic that she had for engaging people in the process of outdoor learning.
“But Rachel was so much more than just a crew member. Rachel went out of her way to make each of us her friend. She spent time in our homes, with our significant others, children, and pets, proactively learning how this group of people fit together and making a long term space for herself in our hearts. Rachel filled everyone up with her genuine, easy smile, her willingness to pitch in no matter how big or small the task, and her ability to see every person she came across—and somehow understand exactly how to make them feel included, welcome, and loved.”
We’ve reached out to Acadia National Park and the National Park Service regarding the Ikes Point incident but have not received a response. If we do, we’ll update this story.
The NPS responded at 5 p.m., July 13. We’ve updated the article to include their comments.
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