HANCOCK COUNTY, Maine — The passenger who drowned Friday night after the ATV he was riding on broke through the ice of a Hancock County lake has been identified.
Floyd Hardison, 88, of Waltham, Maine, was returning to shore around 6 p.m. after a day spent ice fishing with his son and two grandsons on Spring River Lake when the side-by-side he was on broke through the ice.
Hardison's adult grandson was operating the side-by-side he was riding on, and they were about 400 yards from shore when it broke through, according to a news release from Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife spokesperson Mark Latti.
The grandson was able to self-rescue, but Hardison was not able to get out of the sinking ATV.
Several agencies responded to the lake, including Maine Game Wardens, the Hancock County Sheriff's Office, and Franklin and Sullivan fire departments.
Hardison's body was recovered around 8:25 p.m. at a depth of about 10 feet of water by a member of a local fire department, the release stated.
His body was brought to Jordan-Fernald Funeral Home in Ellsworth.
Two other ATVs were on the ice, but they did not break through the ice, and no other injuries were reported, Latti told NEWS CENTER Maine.
According to a description of Spring River Lake by MDIF&W, the lake is just over 700 acres and has a maximum depth of about 28 feet.
Sullivan Fire and Rescue offered condolences to Hardison's family and friends and urged caution when out on the ice.
"Things can go bad in a hurry. There isn't as much ice as people may think," the agency shared in a post on Facebook. "A four-seat side by side weighs quite a bit."
The post also lauded the work of the first responders who went to the scene and noted everyone involved in the search and recovery was "clear and safe."