Biddeford Man Drowns After Kayak Tips Over on Sabattus Pond
State wildlife officials said he could not swim, was not wearing a life jacket, and the Maine Warden Service is leading the investigation.
Overview
- Mateo Franco Cifuentes, 29, was paddling near shore at Martin’s Point Park when his kayak tipped over and he entered the water.
- Friends and nearby witnesses tried to help and a bystander later dove in and pulled Cifuentes from the pond but he was unresponsive.
- Emergency responders from United Ambulance Service and the Sabattus Fire Department performed about 45 minutes of onshore resuscitation but Cifuentes was pronounced dead at the scene.
- Because the death involved a watercraft, the Maine Warden Service is the primary investigating agency and Sabattus police assisted at the scene.
- Maine game wardens used the incident to urge life‑jacket use, water‑safety awareness, and that people know their swimming ability before going onto the water.