The body of a missing woman was discovered Saturday in a small pond near the Eastern Trail in Arundel, the York County Sheriff’s Office said Sunday.

Paula Gagne, 54, of Arundel was found submerged in the pond late Saturday afternoon, and her body was recovered by sheriff’s deputies and Maine Warden Service personnel.

A preliminary analysis indicates that Gagne drowned, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Gagne had been reported missing earlier in the week, and deputies traced her cellphone usage to a wooded area, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies conducted an exhaustive search and then contacted the warden service for assistance.

Game wardens, using search dogs and air support, located an area near the water’s edge where Gagne’s tracks appeared to end. The wardens and deputies began a search of the pond.

They found Gagne in the middle of the pond, submerged and facedown, the office said.

No foul play is suspected, but the investigation is continuing, it said. An autopsy is scheduled for later this week.


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