Man Killed After Being Thrown From Raft on Maine’s Dead River

A 57-year-old man was killed after being tossed from a raft, along with several others, on Maine's famous Dead River on Saturday.

The Kennebec Journal is reporting that the man was on a rafting adventure with friends and family through the Magic Falls Rafting Co. when the accident happened. The article reported that as the raft was going through a section of rapids near The Forks, the man was thrown over the side of the raft. Moments after that, the entire raft flipped over sending another six or so people into the water.

People that were in other nearby rafts worked to pull the people from the flipped raft into their boats. However, as they were pulling people from the water, they noticed that someone was unresponsive.

That man, 57-year-old Brian M Breen, of East Hartford Connecticut, wasn't breathing. People on the raft attempted CPR until emergency medical crews could take over when the raft came ashore near route 201 in The Forks. Sadly, the man was unable to be resuscitated and passed away at the scene.

The rafter initially went into the water at Big Poplar Rapid, which the KJ reports is a part of Poplar Hill Falls in Somerset County.

His body was then taken to Bingham's Giberson Funeral Home. As of this afternoon, the medical examiner had not identified a cause of death. Magic Falls Rafting Co. was reached out to for comment but the owners were out of town.

We will continue to keep this story updated as more information becomes available.