Authorities located a body Wednesday that they believe is a kayaker from New Gloucester who disappeared over the weekend.
Seth Vosmus, 34, of New Gloucester, left his house to take a kayaking trip out of Freeport to visit an island on Saturday, according to the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office.
The body was found near Little Moshier Island near Cousins Island in Yarmouth, Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce said in an email late Wednesday. It was recovered around noon Wednesday.
Joyce said he is awaiting confirmation from the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner of the person’s identity and cause of death.
Kayakers who depart from Porters Landing, which is where authorities found Vosmus’ truck, must paddle down the Harraseeket River through Freeport Harbor and then past Stockbridge Point to reach the open sea. Porters Landing is located off South Freeport Road and is a popular launch spot for kayakers and boaters.
There are several islands beyond Stockbridge Point, including Little Bustins Island and Bustins Island in Freeport, and Lanes Island, Moshier Island and Little Moshier Island in Yarmouth.
The sheriff’s office asked the public on Facebook for information about his whereabouts, and posted a photograph of Vosmus and his green kayak. News Center Maine reported that authorities conducted a land and water search of the islands Tuesday.
A close friend, Joanna Forbes, posted about search efforts for Vosmus on Facebook and said he might have gone to Moshier Island or one of the other islands nearby.
She described him in her post: “Big smile, very charismatic, loving … great dancer, loved by many.” She also made a colorful joke about his singing talent or lack thereof, adding “(we forgive him).”
“Please send thoughts and prayers to Seth and his community,” she wrote Monday. “We’re worried sick.”
As news spread about the recovery of the body, friends came to the support of Vosmus’ family
Tove Jacobson, who owns a hair salon in Yarmouth, created a gofundme campaign for the family.
“No parent should ever experience the loss of a child,” Jacobson wrote. “Meg Vosmus, a friend and fellow hairstylist in the Yarmouth, Maine community, has lost her son, Seth. Not only does she have to struggle with the grief, but she also has to handle the weight of her responsibilities as a self-employed stylist.”
“… Anyone who has seen Meg or worked with her knows she went beyond the norm and provided a listening ear, motherly care, and a warm heart to comfort them. They need this from others at this time,” Jacobson said.
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