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SOUTH THOMASTON — An afternoon of rowing practice in preparation for a summer of lobstering took a tragic turn Monday afternoon as two teen-age boys died off Waterman’s Beach. The body of Rory Waters, 14, was found on Tommy Island about 11 p.m. Monday. Roger Philip Smith Jr., 15, was found at 10:40 a.m. Tuesday by Maine Marine Patrol divers, about 50 yards from where Waters was discovered. The boys took off from Waterman’s Beach at 3 p.m. in a 7-foot aluminum skiff. Maine Marine Patrol Sgt. Victor Cole said the small boat was not seaworthy. The rear seat had been removed leaving only one seat, the oarlocks were clamped on making rowing difficult, and the seams were leaking, Cole noted. There were no life jackets aboard the skiff, he said. The winds picked up in the afternoon from the northwest after the boys set out, and with the oarlock problems the skiff would have been difficult to row. “This time of the year, with warm days, there is a false sense of security,” Cole said about going out onto the ocean. “It takes well into mid-July before the water temperatures are partially tolerable.” The seas were an estimated 2 to 4 feet and the water temperature was 41 degrees. Cole noted that a person can survive in such cold water for only 15 to 20 minutes. The boys left Waterman’s Beach about 3 p.m. to practice rowing in the area, Cole noted. The two had practiced off the beach for the past few days. Smith had planned to go lobstering this summer. His student lobster license arrived in the mail Tuesday, and he had planned to launch his own boat, Ebony Mist, this weekend. The boys were expected to return to Waterman’s Beach by 5 p.m. The Coast Guard station in Rockland received a report at 7:20 p.m. from Waters’ mother saying the boys were overdue, noted Coast Guard Petty Officer Fred Hoatlin. The Coast Guard immediately sent out their 41-foot and 21-foot boats to search for the boys. The Coast Guard cutter Tackle and a helicopter from the Coast Guard Air Station in Cape Cod also were sent to search. The Maine Marine Patrol joined in the search with its vessel Dirigo and its 19-foot Boston Whaler. Numerous fishing boats from the region also participated in the search while South Thomaston firefighters and the Knox County Sheriff’s Department led a search of the mainland shore. The Coast Guard located Waters’ body with the skiff nearby at 11 p.m. Tommy Island is located about a half mile off the mainland. The search continued into the night, with a lower tide and daylight allowing for the discovery of Smith in about 10 feet of water. No autopsies are planned for the boys. Philip Smith was planning to be a lobsterman. Rory Waters set his sights on a career in computers. The two friends will be remembered Thursday in a memorial service that will include a flotilla of boats passing by Waterman’s Beach. The service will be held at Lobster Buoy Campground near where the two eighth-grade students took off Monday afternoon. Smith family friend Peter Smith said Wednesday that he expects at least one boat each from the Coast Guard and the Department of Marine Resources, as well as local lobster boats to take part. Leaving from Spruce Head at 9:50 a.m., 20 to 50 boats will circle around Tommy Island and Waterman’s Beach. Rockland District Middle School will provide transportation to any student who wants to attend. Two park benches will be placed along the shore at the campsite, at the same site of Thursday’s memorial service, in view of Tommy Island. Each will bear a plaque with Waters’ and Smith’s names. The public is invited to use the benches to sit and reflect, according to Peter Smith. Counselors were available at the middle school Tuesday to speak with students. Rockland District Middle School Principal Tom Mellor said both Rory and Philip were “really nice kids.” He said students and staff are coming together to remember the two boys. One student is creating a Web site in memory of the pair. Others are writing their thoughts on large cards which will be presented to the parents. Fund-raisers are also being scheduled to help defer funeral expenses for the families. Rory, 14, enjoyed computers, video games, skiing, fishing and hiking, and was planning a career working with computers. Philip Smith, 15, loved the water and was anticipating the launching of his own boat, Ebony Mist, this weekend. His lobster fishing license arrived in the mail the day following his death. He enjoyed puttering and was always active at some task. An ardent San Francisco 49ers fan, he loved football and was a fan of Ozzy Osbourne. The two went out Monday afternoon to practice rowing in the skiff in preparation for lobstering.
SOUTH THOMASTON — The brisk winds stilled during a memorial service Thursday at Foster's Beach, and the sun broke through to warm the many faces of classmates who came to say goodbye to their two friends who died Monday in an afterschool boating accident. It is hard to imagine that such beautiful, tranquil surroundings could have produced such tragedy only days earlier. Rory Waters, 14, and Roger "Philip'' Smith Jr., 15, both of South Thomaston, died shortly after leaving nearby Waterman Beach in a skiff to practice rowing. Their tiny craft apparently capsized when northwest winds stirred up the seas that afternoon. Family friend Peter Smith, who organized the memorial service at Lobster Buoy Campground, said that Rory and Phil were doing what they loved to do. "Don't let your dreams leave you,'' Smith told the hundreds of mourners who came to pay their respects. Close to 400 pupils from the boys' school, Rockland District Middle School, attended the service, as well as hundreds who were teachers, administrators, friends and family. The school closed for the day so everyone could attend the ceremony. Green ribbons — the boys' favorite color — were passed around so people could pin them to their clothing. Many students carried long-stemmed roses that were eventually tossed into the sea, along with a colorful flowered wreath with a bow that had the boys' names inscribed on it. Two newly placed benches faced Tommy Island, located roughly a half mile offshore, where Rory and Philip's bodies were found. The benches, donated by EBS Building Supplies in Rockland, will soon have brass plaques on each with the inscription, "In Memory of Rory Waters and Philip Smith,'' said Peter Smith. The benches will be there for the public for moments of reflection, he said. As opening prayers began, the nearly calm sea had a slight ripple on the surface from a steady breeze. People stood in a park area or wandered down to the shore and sat on rocks. But, wherever they were there was an abundance of hugging and crying. The Rev. Mitch Ross of the Spruce Head Community Church said it was not long ago when the Columbine High School tragedy struck, and all of a sudden students, parents and teachers were faced with many feelings to cope with. "Violence, hatred and despair ruled for a long time,'' he said, then "some rays of hope started to come through ... and more importantly, great faith began to show.'' The minister said most people there to mourn Rory and Philip were probably feeling hopelessness, despair and somehow betrayal. Quoting James Dobson, founder of Focus On The Family, a ministry based in Colorado Springs, Colo., Ross said, "There will be times in every person's life when circumstances don't add up. When God doesn't appear to make sense.'' "I can't answer why,'' Ross said. "But, there is a God who is still in control and knows the answers.'' In a time like this, friends, teachers and family must understand there is no one to blame, he said, "The end will only be heartache for the accused and the accuser.'' "It's all about coming together when tragedy strikes to support each other,'' Ross said. As the minister was concluding his thoughts, the clouds began to part, and he said, "In the darkness of the moment the sun has begun to shine ... to remind you there is tomorrow. There is a ray of hope.'' Peter Smith then turned mourners' attention to a flotilla of South Thomaston and Spruce Head fishermen's boats — 25 in all — including a small Coast Guard rescue boat. Everyone flocked to the water's edge to watch as the mostly lobster boats slowly, and silently, paraded past Tommy Island, turned toward the shore at Foster's Beach and passed by the crowd of mourners before heading off into the distance. The flotilla is an old Gloucester and Grand Banks custom, Smith explained, noting that when a fishing dory was seen being towed behind a boat, it meant they had lost life. The small boat, Ebony Mist, being towed by lead boat operator Arthur Alley, was Philip's boat which he planned to put into the water this week, according to a friend. Philip was a sternman for Alley and longed to be a lobsterman someday. Philip's mother, Julia Smith, told those who came to remember the boys, "We thank you from the bottom of our hearts. They were good boys. They loved being in school with all you guys. Philip and Rory cared a great deal for all of you.'' Classmate Chuck Chapin said, "The bottom line is we all were touched by them. ... They can stay alive in our hearts, minds and souls if we let them.'' Chapin said he had an arm wrestling rematch planned with Philip on Tuesday, before saying that his message to the boys' parents is: "They're in a better place. To Rory: I'll miss you little buddy. To Phil: Someday we'll have our rematch.''
SOUTH THOMASTON — A lack of life jackets, a tiny boat in poor repair, and rough seas Monday made for a fatal combination that claimed the lives of two local teen-agers who were practicing rowing off Tommy Island. Rory Waters, 14, and Roger 'Philip' Smith Jr., 15, both of South Thomaston, died in a boating tragedy still being investigated by the Maine Marine Patrol. An intensive search was launched Monday night when the boys were reported missing at about 8 p.m. The two teens had left Waterman Beach at about 3 p.m. to practice rowing a small boat and were expected home at 5 p.m., according to Coast Guard officials. Tommy Island is located off Waterman Beach. Waters' mother, Toni Waters, contacted the Coast Guard when the boys did not return. The Coast Guard sent a helicopter from Cape Cod, and two rescue boats and the cutter Tackle from Rockland, to search for the boys, according to Chief Warrant Officer Clyde Munson, commanding officer of Rockland Station. Marine Patrol and Maine State Police divers were called in, Munson said, as were Coast Guard Auxiliary members, the Knox County Sheriff's Department, the South Thomaston Fire Department, numerous fishing boats and countless volunteers. The grim discovery of the first body came late Monday evening, when state police divers pulled Waters from the water near Tommy Island between the low and high tide mark, dive master Sgt. Raymond Bessette said. The aluminum skiff was located nearby, according to a Coast Guard report. Reportedly, [the skiff] wasn't in that great of condition,'' Munson said. Bessette indicated that what happened was no surprise, considering the size of the boat. Even in ideal conditions, he said, the 8-foot skiff was too small. The wind had picked up later in the day Monday and was coming out of the northwest which made for choppy seas, Munson said. Smith's body was found at about 10:45 a.m. Tuesday by divers within 50 yards of shore, Bessette said, indicating to me, they were fairly close [to shore] when they submerged.'' The Marine Patrol is working on the investigation, Bessette said, when asked if the cause of the accident was known. Sgt. Victor Cole of the Marine Patrol could not be reached for comment on the investigation. The water temperature was 41 degrees, Bessette said, and there was no indication from the families that either boy was a strong swimmer. Bessette said the fair weather this spring has built a false security'' with some people, such as the two boys who headed out not expecting conditions to change. Bessette stressed the importance of wearing flotation devices. Neither of the boys was wearing a life jacket, he said. According to Munson, the parents indicated that the boys did not take life preservers with them when they would use the skiff. There is a strong current in that area, which was flooding at the time the boys left in the boat, Munson said. The situation was made even more dangerous when the northwest winds kicked up the seas, he said. Rockland District Middle School classmates mourned the loss of their friends Tuesday. The district counselor psychological examiner and nurse team was activated, guidance counselor Kevin Martin said, and there were five counselors at the school to help pupils cope with the bad news. They were just nice guys,'' Martin said of the two eighth-graders. They were kind of quiet ... to themselves, but had their own friends.'' Smith wanted to be a lobsterman, Martin said, noting that the boys were out practicing rowing so they could go lobstering this summer. Rory was a cool little guy,'' Martin said. Principal Tom Mellor said, They were just all-around nice students ... a joy to have here in school.'' Martin said that Smith's motherNAME? had called the school to make certain there would be someone there to help the pupils deal with the tragedy. Pupils drew pictures, made cards, wrote poems or sat under a tree and cried or held hands. A Hat Day and bake sale are planned to help the families and to send flowers. A memorial Web site was created to remember the boys at: http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Atrium/5670. It's been a tough day,'' Martin said. It's been a learning experience for all of us.'' It is difficult to have someone sitting next to you one day and then not to have them there the next day, Martin said, and to know they will never be there again — ever.'' At a time like this, school is a good place to be,'' Martin said. It's a hard thing to get through, but at least we're all together.''
ROCKLAND — The two South Thomaston teens killed in a boating accident Monday were bound for tragedy by the condition of the boat and a change in the weather, according to investigators. A joint investigation by the Maine Marine Patrol and U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Portland has determined that the boating accident that claimed the lives of teen-agers Rory Waters and Roger "Philip'' Smith Jr. "falls into a very clear pattern of fatalities,'' Jeff Ciampa, Coast Guard spokesman, said Wednesday. That pattern is of accidents involving small vessel being the largest single source of boating fatalities, he explained. Waters, 14, and Smith, 15, both of South Thomaston, left Waterman Beach Monday afternoon in a skiff to practice rowing and never returned. The boys' bodies were found by Maine State Police divers. Waters was discovered late Monday night and Smith late Tuesday morning, both near Tommy Island. The boat also was found near the island. "People don't put on their safety thinking caps when it comes to small boats,'' Ciampa said, noting many mariners use small boats to get to larger vessels on moorings. They often do not consider the condition of the smaller boats, he said. "The boat was in tough shape,'' Ciampa said, referring to the one the two boys used, "very poor condition.'' "It was a tragic accident,'' Sgt. Victor Cole, the Maine Marine Patrol lead investigator, said Wednesday. The investigators said such an incident is used in efforts to educate people about the importance of boating safety. "There's been five drownings in 15 months in Knox County,'' Cole said. "Not one person had a life jacket. That's some pretty strong statistics for having a life jacket with you.'' The boys' boat had multiple significant leaks, Ciampa said, noting that the hull had damage from wear and abuse, with extensive efforts to patch it. "It was actively leaking in several places,'' he said. One thwart, or seat, had half of the flotation material removed, Ciampa said, explaining that foam flotation material is usually mounted under the aluminum seats. One of the oarlocks had been fractured from its mount and was held in place with a large sea clamp. The boat measured 7 feet, 11 inches. The boat had one seat in the middle, so one of the boys had to sit on the floor of the skiff, he said. Cole said the boys had no traps out, and, as far as they could tell, the boys were practicing rowing when the accident occurred. Because of the condition of the boat and the winds and seas kicking up, the boat capsized, he said. An experienced lobsterman who rowed the skiff back to shore after it was discovered by searchers told Cole he had a difficult time handling the boat, Cole said.