Lobster Boats Intentionally Sunk In Owls Head
2 Maine Lobster Boats Sunk, Third Partially Submerged

POSTED: 11:23 am EDT August 5, 2009
UPDATED: 8:08 am EDT August 6, 2009

OWLS HEAD, Maine -- Tension between Maine lobstermen is reaching a boiling point. Someone tried to sink three lobster boats in Owls Head, authorities said Wednesday morning.

Marine officials in Owls Head said lobstermen arriving to pull traps Wednesday morning found two boats sunk. A third was partially sunk in Owls Head harbor. All boats were tied up and officials are trying to figure out who is responsible.

Keith Simmonds had planned to meet an insurance agent Wednesday to get a policy on his boat, but he instead found it under water with its intakes lines cut.

A deputy with the Knox County Sheriff's Department said water lines were cut to the boats, causing them to sink.

Lobsterman Keith Simmonds, whose boat was under water, says he's more determined now than ever to continue as a lobsterman.

Simmonds, who owns the boat First Light, told News 8's Keith Baldi that he believes the sinking of his boat stems from an ongoing feud with another fishing family in the area.

Many said they know who was responsible. Simmonds said a family feuding over territory for years is unhappy that their unwritten rules on where lobstermen drop their traps were broken. He said if someone feels another lobsterman is doing business in an area where they shouldn't, they retaliate.

Simmonds said lines to traps are usually the course of action, not as severe as sinking boats.

"If it hurts bad enough, you get out of it," Simmonds said.

An official with the United States Coast Guard said there was no environmental damage from the sinkings.

Sunken lobster boats are tied up as officials investigate who is responsible.

The sinking marked the second incident involving mid-coast lobstermen in the past couple of weeks. On July 20, police said Vance Bunker shot Chris Young in the neck on Matinicus Island. Bunker was charged with elevated aggravated assault. Last week, two civil lawsuits were filed against Bunker in connection with the shooting.

"That incident a few weeks ago was to the extreme. This is thousands of dollars worth of damage," said Knox County sheriff's Deputy Tim Carroll. "We're talking about people's livelihoods."

The next day, the state closed the area to lobster and crab fishing for two weeks, but the closure was reduced to four days.

Though investigators said they don't believe the two incidents are related, some worry for their safety.

"I think it worries everybody. As a family, wondering, is this person that did something here going to come at the homes and bother us at home or what?" said Debbie Damon, whose brother's boat sunk.

Simmonds said he's more determined ever now to continue as a lobsterman. Others said there's more tension than ever because the number of fishermen and lobstermen doubled within 15 years.