Maine man dies while checking thickness of lake ice, wardens say

MILLINOCKET

The Maine Warden Service says a man checking the thickness of ice on a wilderness lake crashed into the icy water and drowned. Wardens say Walter Demmons, of Milford, was drilling holes with a friend to check the ice thickness when they heard the ice crack Friday morning. Both ended up in the water, 75 yards (66 meters) from shore and eight miles ((13 kilometers) from Millinocket, the nearest town. Demmons told his friend he couldn’t make it and slid under the water. Somehow the friend got back on the ice and dialed 911. The friend was treated for hypothermia. The Brownsville Fire Department recovered Demmons’ body.