Maine Warden Service Dive Team Receives Gift from Drowning Victim’s family, friends

WATERVILLE – The Maine Warden Service Dive Team on Friday (May 16) received a generous gift of underwater camera and surveillance equipment from the family and friends of Thomas W. Kopp, the late dean of admissions at Colby College.

Mr. Kopp drowned on Nov. 10, 2007, when the aluminum skiff that he, his son and three grandsons were in flipped over on Great Pond in Belgrade. Mr. Kopp was located in the pond the next day by his son, Blaine, who used similar underwater camera equipment to assist the Dive Team in its efforts to find his father.

Mr. Blaine Kopp introduced the equipment to divers, and over the last few months a friendship has formed to share ideas on how to use technology to improve search and recovery missions, particularly those that occur in dark, frigid waters where numerous underwater obstacles such as logs and boulders pose hazards.

Nancy Morrione, associate dean of admissions at Colby College, heard of how Blaine located his father by using the underwater camera system and decided to collect funds to purchase the technological gear for the warden service.

“Thank you to the Kopp family and to Mr. Kopp’s friends for your generosity, kindness and support,” said Colonel Joel Wilkinson, who accepted the gift on behalf of the Dive Team. “This heartfelt donation will bring comfort to people who one day too may be forced to endure the drowning death of a loved one. By using this equipment, warden divers will be able to bring a victim home sooner.”

The underwater camera equipment, valued at $3,500, will be an integral part of the Maine Warden Service Dive Team’s operations when it is called to perform search and recovery missions throughout the state. It includes an underwater camera/scope, a recorder, GPS unit and other documentation tools. The camera/scope is capable of surveying underwater landscapes in most situations, including dark waters when visibility by the human eye is limited to inches.

The camera is being named the “T.K. Cam” by the Dive Team in remembrance of Mr. Kopp.

“With this equipment we will be able to assess an underwater situation before we put divers into the water,” said Maine Warden Service Sgt. Terry Hughes, who is assistant dive team coordinator. “There’s not a dive I can think of where this equipment won’t be useful.”

Parker Beverage, dean of admissions and financial aid, presented the equipment to Col. Wilkinson during a gathering of Mr. Kopp’s family, co-workers and friends at Lunder House on the Colby College campus.

“May you use it infrequently, and when you do use it use it efficiently and wisely,” Mr. Beverage said.

Posted by Tom Remington