The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has officially ruled the deaths of a Mount Desert woman and her two young grandchildren, found last month in Roque Bluffs, as accidental drownings. This update comes from the Maine State Police regarding the incident that occurred on September 20.
Sharon Bukulmez, 61, of Mount Desert, along with 5-year-old Kinsley Grubb and 3-year-old Sawyer Grubb, both residents of Bar Harbor, were recovered from Pond Cove. Their vehicle was discovered submerged near the boat ramp at the end of Schoppee Point Road in Roque Bluffs. The discovery concluded a search that began when the trio failed to arrive at their intended destination.
According to investigators, Ms. Bukulmez and the two children were last seen leaving a family function in Jonesboro around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, September 19. The trio was reportedly headed to Machias but never arrived, prompting family members to raise concerns and initiate a search effort from law enforcement.
A crucial development in the search came when the Bar Harbor Police Department successfully obtained location data from Ms. Bukulmez’s cellphone. This data proved instrumental, tracing her phone's last known location to the water in Roque Bluffs, an area distant from their presumed route to Machias.
Armed with this critical information, state troopers, supported by the specialized Maine State Police Dive Team and Maine Marine Patrol, converged on Pond Cove. At approximately 7 a.m. on Sunday, September 20, responders located Ms. Bukulmez’s vehicle submerged. First responders then undertook the difficult task of recovering both the vehicle and the bodies of Ms. Bukulmez, Kinsley Grubb, and Sawyer Grubb from the cove. The recovery operation involved several agencies, with the Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard also providing assistance at the scene in Roque Bluffs.
While the cause of death has been determined, the Maine State Police have stated that the specific circumstances surrounding how the vehicle entered the water in Pond Cove remain under active investigation. Maine State Police continue their investigation to piece together the full picture of the incident, specifically the sequence of events that led to the vehicle's submersion.
