Maine Grandmother, Two Grandchildren Die After Car Plunges into Pond
The family was returning from a wedding when the tragedy occurred; the grandmother is believed to have died trying to rescue the children.
A Maine grandmother and her two young grandchildren were killed when their car went off the road and submerged in a pond in Roque Bluffs on Sunday, according to Maine State Police. The victims have been identified as Sharon Bukulmez, 61, and her grandchildren, 5-year-old Kinley Grubb and 3-year-old Sawyer Grubb.
The trio was last seen around 8:30 p.m. Saturday, the night before their bodies were recovered. Bukulmez was driving the children to an Airbnb after attending their father’s wedding. The father, Peter Grubb, told local outlet WMTW that he believes his mother died while attempting to free the children from the vehicle.
Friends and family described Bukulmez as a dedicated and caring woman. Peter Grubb remembered his children as "the best pair of kids a father could ask for," finding some solace in the knowledge that they knew they were loved.
Authorities were alerted to the incident when the family failed to arrive at their Airbnb. A cellphone ping from Bukulmez’s phone indicated a location in the water near the boat ramp at the end of Schoppee Point Road in Roque Bluffs. The submerged vehicle was discovered at 7 a.m. Sunday.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation. It is unclear how the vehicle ended up in the pond. In 2013, two hikers died when their vehicle entered the water near the same boat launch. State Representative Tiffany Strout stated on Facebook that she is willing to work with local and state transportation officials to improve signage in the area to better alert drivers that the ramp leads to the water.