A tragic accident in Maine has turned a peaceful swimming vacation into a nightmare for a family. A dutiful father had accompanied his children to a local park for a day beside the pond. Little did he know that he won’t return home from this trip. Although his death will forever haunt his family, his children can be proud of their hero father, who selflessly protected them until his last breath.

Henry Brooks, a resident of Hope County, took his children to the Seven Tree Pond at Ayer Park. The 46-year-old man wanted to spend Saturday evening with his three kids. But fate had other plans. In a sudden turn of events, the fun day turned into a day of mourning for the Brooks family.

Tragic Turn of Events at Seven Tree Pond

Henry was a vigilant father. Although he stayed back at the picnic table, he constantly watched his two daughters. His daughters, one aged 12 and the other 13, were having fun in the pond. Suddenly, one of the girls lost her balance and fell into the deeper section of the pond. This is the intersection point where the river drains into the pond. Seeing her sister in stress, the other girl also leaped into this portion of the pond.

According to the reports by Fox17, the current was too strong, and “the other daughter tried to help her but also fell into deeper water”. Both the sisters were getting swept into the deeper section of the pond. Maine Warden Service official said, “Brooks…saw what occurred and heard their cries for help, and jumped into the water to rescue them”. As soon as he saw his daughters in trouble, his instincts kicked in. Without sparing a moment to think about his own safety, the father leaped into the water. Thankfully his son was also around, or else all three might have drowned.

Hero Brother Saves His Sisters

A 27-year-old man demonstrated quick thinking when he “grabbed a life jacket”. He jumped into the pond and swam to his sisters. Then he brought them back to the dock. After saving his sisters, he looked back to check on his father, but he was nowhere to be found. Game wardens, an emergency rescue team, and the local sheriff arrived on the scene. A search for Brooks began by boat and on foot. When no trace could be found, the divers were called to the scene. At around 7:30 p.m., the three divers hauled Brooks’ dead body back to shore.

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His body was found about 50 feet from the dock. Brooks’ children were admitted to the PenBay Medical Center in Rockport for one night’s observation. His family paid their last respects to Henry Brooks at the Halls Funeral Home in Waldoboro. This is the second time this month that an adult male drowned while saving a child.

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