A 61-year-old Maine woman and her two young grandchildren were found dead Sunday morning after their vehicle was discovered submerged in Pond Cove in Roque Bluffs, authorities said.
Sharon Bukulmez of Mount Desert had been traveling with her 5-year-old granddaughter, Kinsley Grubb, and 3-year-old grandson, Sawyer Grubb, both of Bar Harbor. The three were last seen around 8:30 p.m. Saturday after leaving a family gathering in Jonesboro. They were expected to travel to Machias but never arrived.
Concern over their whereabouts led law enforcement to begin searching for the woman and children.
During the search, Bar Harbor police obtained cellphone location information that indicated Bukulmez’s phone was in the water near the boat ramp at the end of Schoppee Point Road in Roque Bluffs. Maine State Police were notified and responded to the area.
The Maine State Police Dive Team and Maine Marine Patrol located the submerged vehicle in Pond Cove at approximately 7 a.m. Sunday. The bodies of Bukulmez, Kinsley and Sawyer were recovered from the water along with the vehicle.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard also assisted with the response at the scene.
The three victims were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta. Autopsies are expected to help determine the cause and manner of their deaths.
Authorities have not released a cause for the vehicle entering the water, and the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
The discovery brought an end to the search that began after the three failed to reach Machias as expected. Investigators are continuing to examine what happened before the vehicle was found submerged in Pond Cove.
