Square lake

[teampar]

http://www.wagmtv.com/content/news/Boating-Accident-in-Square-Lake--428435803.html

[JDK]

Square sucks in the wind.  
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[Huemorin]

One of the worst places I have ever been on when that wind picks up.  No place to hide on that lake, and if a storm rolls in you sometimes only have minutes to make a decision on getting to shore.  Hope all works out!!

[JDK]

One of the worst places I have ever been on when that wind picks up.  No place to hide on that lake, and if a storm rolls in you sometimes only have minutes to make a decision on getting to shore.  Hope all works out!!

Just read that the Warden Service recovered one body thus far.  Only one was wearing a life jacket.

All four were from the Fort Fairfield area.

[jacksmelt]

One of the worst places I have ever been on when that wind picks up.  No place to hide on that lake, and if a storm rolls in you sometimes only have minutes to make a decision on getting to shore.  Hope all works out!!

its been very windy the last couple days. must have been real bad when these guys were out there! the locals know better to go out on square in high winds! very sad!

[JDK]

From the Fiddlehead Focus- Don Eno


SQUARE LAKE TWP — The Maine Warden Service has identified the four men from Fort Fairfield involved in a fatal fishing outing Tuesday afternoon on Square Lake.
Only one of the four men, 23-year old Charles Guimond, was found alive at daybreak Wednesday, hours after the boat they were in capsized in high winds on the lake.
A warden plane spotted the body of Martin Chambers, 56, Wednesday afternoon and it was recovered from shallow water between Salmon Point and Goddard Cove on the lake’s southeastern shore.

The two still missing men, who are presumed dead, are Eric Sherwood, 43, and Mark Chambers, 51. Martin and Mark Chambers are brothers.
The four men had planned to fish the thoroughfare between Square Lake and Eagle Lake when at about 4 p.m. Tuesday their 12-foot boat with motor started taking on water and capsized in very windy conditions, Cpl. John MacDonald of the warden service reported in a press release issued Wednesday afternoon.
All four clung to the boat until dark, but Guimond, who was the only one wearing a lifejacket, was able to hang on until it drifted to shore where he was spotted by a warden plane at about 5 a.m. Wednesday.

The plane had started searching the area after someone from the camp where the men were staying on Square Lake had contacted the warden service at about 2 a.m.
Wardens planned to continue the search by air and water for the two missing men but do not believe they survived the cold water temperatures.
Water surface temperatures were near 58 degrees on Wednesday and waves were nearly four feet high in strong winds, according to MacDonald.

The three deaths would bring the total to 10 boating related fatalities this year, he said.

“Maine’s waterways remain dangerously cold and those who recreate on the water are strongly encouraged to wear a lifejacket,” the warden press release states.

[Huemorin]

My father just came back from camp on Monday and him and I were talking about this last night and he mentioned on Sunday he saw 4 guys in one of those long square back canoes take off from limestone point with one guy standing in the back running the tiller.  That's not a vessel for Square Lake.  There have been many times I would be on the porch at camp and would see these guys in real small boats in some tough conditions.  It is not a lake for that.  This is very unfortunate.  Sounds like they might have been camping at those sites on the thorofare and didn't intend to get out tot he big lake, but who knows.  Its too bad!

[Turnbuckle]

Sad and unfortunate and horrible for the families.

4 guys in a 12 footer in these temps may not have been a good decision.

Saw a guy on the Facebook posted by a localbait shop down here last week in May. Using a jet sled as a boat with a trolling motor with no lifejacket on!

[JDK]

Sad and unfortunate and horrible for the families.

4 guys in a 12 footer in these temps may not have been a good decision.

Saw a guy on the Facebook posted by a localbait shop down here last week in May. Using a jet sled as a boat with a trolling motor with no lifejacket on!

Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you.

[Alex D. Large]

Thoughts and prayers go out to their families.
Anyone who fishes square with any frequency will have experienced the quick arrival of the winds. On such occasions, the sanctuary of the thoroughfare is welcoming.
Those long, square-stern Scott canoes will do better than most 12' boats in the chop. Not that I run one and I don't particularly care to fish out of them but they are stable. 4 persons with gear in a typical 12' roof top aluminum boat with motor and that vessel is probably at twice its' regulated capacity. I personally wouldn't go on Square with anything less than 16'. It has taken too many fisherman over the years.

[jacksmelt]

that lake eats and spits out 12 ft boats! one of the worst lakes you could could be on in windy conditions! 10mph winds mean 3ft. waves on there! alcohol must have been a factor as these guys were old enough to know better. very sad.

[Alex D. Large]

So true Steve, just the mention of 12'er on Square makes my heart sink to my stomach.

[fishlessman]

too small a boat for the conditions, most 12 footers are 2 to 3 people capacity max, not wearing lifejackets when it got rough. i used to do this stuff when i was younger but not anymore. hate seeing this stuff now, see it all the time in sebago with car toppers, seen a paddleboarder out there this spring in a 3 foot chop alone. craziness

[Huemorin]

You guys are absolutely right but you know as well as I do that Square does see a lot of little boats because of the tough access.  My aunt and uncle got to there camp up there last night and I got a text this morning saying a warden plan and boat had just headed back to burnt landing from the goddard area, maybe they found something.  I am heading that way in about 10 days.  Hope they can recover everyone.

[JDK]

Common sense isn't very common today.

You can blame the boat size, you can blame the lake, you can blame the wind.  They didn't get caught, they left shore.

No one forced them to put 4 people in a small boat.
No one forced them to pull the cord
No one forced them out of life jackets.
No one told them to go.

I have done some stupid things in my life and know that crap happens.  Why anyone in this day and age goes out in a boat that can't swim and doesn't wear a life jacket is beyond me.  I have fished Square in 12, 14, 16 and 18 foot boats as well as 17 foot canoes.  Never felt unsafe in any as long you use the tool between your ears.