Staff Writer

By Mark LaFlamme

MANCHESTER – Charlie Clark experienced Tuesday afternoon’s storm from a unique perspective. For 25 minutes, he witnessed nature’s wrath from a boat on Cobbosseecontee Lake while quarter-sized hailstones fell on his head.

As his wife and children watched in horror from shore, Clark rode out the storm on a 23-foot Glastron boat after he became trapped on the craft while trying to secure it.

“I figured I had five or 10 minutes to tie it off,” said Clark, who lives in Gardiner. “I was wrong.”

In the end, Clark fared just fine. Though a dingy sailed at him, 4-foot waves battered his boat and hailstones fell on his head, it was on shore where the real damage was done. While Clark struggled to survive on the turbulent lake, a giant pine tree crashed down and smashed three of the Clark family cars as well as a section of the house they had rented for a summertime getaway.

Clark is a co-owner of DNK Used Cars in Augusta.

“This was just the beginning of our vacation,” Clark said. “I can’t wait to see what happens next.”

He said he was tying off the boat Tuesday afternoon when winds sprang up and the rain began to fall. Thunder was sounding overhead and lightning was streaking from the sky. Clark battled with the mooring 40 feet off-shore.

“The wind was pushing at the boat so hard, I couldn’t get it tied down,” Clark said. “My wife was hollering from shore and telling me to jump in the water and swim for it. I didn’t want to do that. Not with the lightening coming down. I decided to ride it out.”

Easier said then done.

After a few minutes, hail began to fall. The winds became more forceful and other boats became sources of peril.

“A little dingy blew up in the air and came right at me,” Clark said.

He survived that but there was still the hail to contend with. Clark had partial cover at the front of the boat but it was not enough to keep the balls of frozen ice out completely.

“I’ve lived in Maine all my life and I’ve never seen hail that big,” Clark said. “I got hit twice in the head.”

He estimated he crouched on the boat for 25 minutes before the storm had abated enough for him to get to shore.

“It was forever,” Clark said.

On land, relief at surviving the storm quickly gave way to disappointment. The 30-foot tree that blew over in the storm had landed with almost malicious precision.

“It flew a bit and then came down on three vehicles and the house,” Clark said.

Totaled under the weight of the tree was a Chevrolet Cavalier, a Buick LeSabre and a Pontiac Grand Am. The rear of the lakefront house was damaged, but it was still inhabitable, Clark said. He and his family planned to resume their vacation.

“It was kind of a bizarre day,” Clark said. “It was a rocky ride.”