Search teams recovered the body of an 18-year-old Lewiston man from the Androscoggin River on Saturday, hours after he slipped into the water while fishing with friends near the Gulf Island Dam. The overnight search drew in Maine game wardens, Lewiston police and the city fire department, while Brookfield Renewable briefly lowered river flows so divers could get in the water and area residents watched from the shore.
Search and recovery
According to Bangor Daily News, the Maine Warden Service dive team found the teen’s body at about 4:35 p.m. Saturday. The outlet reports that divers had resumed work after an earlier evening push that used boats on the water, teams on the shoreline and drones overhead to sweep the river.
Where and how it happened
As reported by the Portland Press Herald, the teenager, identified as Siloe C. Irumva, slipped on a rock shortly before 7:30 p.m. while trying to free a fishing lure that had snagged on a tree branch near the Gulf Island Dam on Switzerland Road. Officials said the current carried him downstream, and his friends called 911 after he went under and did not resurface.
River conditions slowed the search
The Bangor Daily News notes that the section of the Androscoggin between two dams is known for unpredictable flows. Brookfield Renewable temporarily reduced water releases to give divers a short window to work, and officials said the changing currents and limited time frame made the search more difficult.
Community remembers
According to NBC Boston, those who knew Irumva described him as a kind young man who was loved by many in Lewiston. News of his death prompted an outpouring of grief from classmates and neighbors.
Authorities did not immediately release further details about the recovery effort or whether an autopsy is planned, the Portland Press Herald reports. The Maine Warden Service and Lewiston police coordinated the response, and officials asked anyone with information about the incident to contact local authorities.
