Three fatalities on NH waters Friday
Jul. 8—Three deaths were reported on New Hampshire waters Friday in a span of 6-1/2 hours.
According to a press release from the New Hampshire Marine Patrol, calls came in from Gilmanton, Manchester and Madison, between 2:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.
At approximately 2:15 p.m., 911 received a call of a boating accident on Manning Lake in Gilmanton. Officials said late Saturday morning that a boy who was part of a group of campers at a Boy Scout camp died in a boating accident while out on the water.
"We are heartbroken to confirm the death of a Scout yesterday following a tragic accident on Manning Lake in Gilmanton," read a statement from the Daniel Webster Council. "We offer our deepest condolences to the Scout's family and ask everyone to please join in keeping this young man and his loved ones in their thoughts and prayers during this difficult time."
Manning Lake is on the Griswold Scout Reservation near Gilmanton Iron Works. According to the Daniel Webster Council website, two camps are located in the reservation, Hidden Valley Scout Camp and Camp Bell.
While they were still on the scene in Gilmanton, Marine Patrol got a report that a body that had been found on the Piscataquog River in Manchester, near the border of Goffstown.
At around 7:15 p.m., Manchester firefighters and EMS pulled the body of an adult male from the river on Friday after pontoon boaters discovered it near a sandy beach not far from the Electric Street boat ramp. The victim was identified as Shawn Barton, 40, with an unknown address at this time. The investigation is active and ongoing to determine the cause of death.
At approximately 8:45 p.m., a third call was received for a possible drowning on Middle Pea Porridge Pond in Madison.
Marine Patrol said the victim, Amy Posocco, 41, of Beverly, Mass., had been swimming with a group of her family members when she failed to return to shore. Her body was located approximately 90 feet offshore. The investigation is also ongoing, and the immediate cause of death is not known currently but is considered to be accidental.
Marine Patrol said it received assistance from at least nine other agencies, including: New Hampshire State Police — Troop B, Troop E and the Major Crime Unit; New Hampshire Fish and Game; Gilmanton Police Department; Gilmanton Fire and Rescue; Alton Ambulance; Manchester Police Department; Manchester Fire Department; Ossipee Fire and Rescue; and the New Hampshire Medical Examiner's Office.
