WOOLWICH — The search for the body of a man, who jumped off the Sagadahoc Bridge into the Kennebec River Wednesday night, was called off earlier today.

Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry said authorities are fairly certain that they know who the victim is based on the contents of a backpack that was retrieved from the river.

Merry described the man as being indigent and in his early 30s. Merry said he is not ready to identify the victim.

The Maine Marine Patrol, the United States Coast Guard, a team of search and rescue dogs, and a Maine State Police dive team spent Thursday morning searching the river without success. The search was called off at 12 noon.

“It’s pretty remote that he survived,” said Merry, noting the powerful river currents and extreme water temperatures. “We’ve moved into recovery mode.”

Merry said several credible eyewitnesses saw the man climb over the bridge railing and jump into the river, on the Woolwich side of the bridge. The four-lane bridge connects Bath and Woolwich.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.