MEXICO – A Harpswell cabin cruiser that mysteriously disappeared on June 29, 1941, in Casco Bay, taking with it the lives of 34 passengers, is still making news this month.

Two large Harpswell rocks will be embedded with plaques commemorating the 34 victims of the “Don” tragedy. One stone will be placed in Mexico, the other in Harpswell.

Additionally, a television documentary crew begins filming the week of June 23 using volunteers to depict the tragedy, based on Stacy L. Welner’s book “Tragedy in Casco Bay.”

For two hours on Tuesday using his pickup truck and a donated flatbed trailer, Dayl Kaulback and his wife, Elise, hauled a large stone weighing more than 3,000 pounds from Harpswell to the Mexico Historical Society.

Once the society embeds a large bronze plaque within the stone, it will be placed on the Mexico Memorial Green and a special dedication ceremony held.

Kaulback is a North Jay scuba diver who, with his team of Wilton-area shipwreck divers, has conducted a needle-in-a-haystack search for the past few years to find the remains of the “Don.”

In previous interviews, Kaulback, who is a descendant of one of the passengers, has said that his team’s attempts to locate the “Don” and determine how it sank, are being done to provide closure for surviving kin and friends of the 34 victims. Although most were from Rumford and Mexico, others were from Auburn, Harpswell, Livermore Falls and California.

Welner said Tuesday evening by phone in Harpswell that the Mexico stone chosen by historical society President Calvin Lyons was donated by Aletta Ricker of Harpswell. Lyons created the plaque.

Regarding the television documentary, Welner said it will be produced this month in Harpswell.

“We’re trying to recreate some of the black and white images from the book,” she said.

That’s why volunteers are being sought for nonspeaking roles to dress in 1930s era clothing and take direction. According to a statement, the documentary mystery will tell the tale of the victims who left on a pleasure cruise to Monhegan Island on June 29, 1941, and never returned. In and around Casco Bay, 14 bodies were eventually found, but the cause of what was then called Maine’s greatest marine disaster, has yet to be determined.

The report states that women ranging in age from 20 to 48 and men aged 17 to 48 are needed for the production. Costumes will be provided, but anyone with period clothing can bring it along. Donations of money to produce the project are also being sought.

In addition to on-camera cast members doing re-enactments of the era, production assistants are needed to help the director and producer. Boats that are similar to the uniquely shaped “Don” are also being sought, as are dinghies, boats to transport actors, and a chase boat for video equipment. Boat owners will receive a stipend toward gas expenses and credit on the TV show.

All filming will take place in the waters of Casco Bay.

Additional props from the 1930s era are also being sought. These include lobster traps, life jackets, clothing, shoes, cars and vintage Maine State Police and Coast Guard uniforms.

For more information, contact production company Dave Wilkinson Art at 798-6535 or Welner at 725-0894.