Maine Grandmother and Two Young Grandchildren Die After Leaving Father’s Wedding

Sharon Bukulmez died trying to save her grandchildren, her heartbroken son said.MDI Health/Facebook

A family celebration in Maine ended in devastating tragedy after a grandmother and her two young grandchildren disappeared while driving away from the children’s father’s wedding and were later found inside a vehicle submerged in a pond.

Sharon Bukulmez, 61, was traveling with 5-year-old Kinley Grubb and 3-year-old Sawyer Grubb on Saturday night when the three failed to arrive at an Airbnb in Machias.

The following morning, authorities located their vehicle underwater in Pond Cove in Roque Bluffs. All three were found dead.

They Had Just Left the Children’s Father’s Wedding

Kinley, 5, and Sawyer, 3, had just left their father’s wedding when the tragedy ocurred.Peter Grubb/Facebook

The children’s father, Peter Grubb, said his mother had been taking Kinley and Sawyer from his wedding to the Airbnb where they were staying.

They were last seen at approximately 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

When the three never reached their destination, they were reported missing and authorities began searching for them.

According to Maine State Police, investigators obtained location information from Bukulmez’s cellphone. The data indicated that the phone was in the water near the boat ramp at the end of Schoppee Point Road in Roque Bluffs.

At around 7 a.m. Sunday, the submerged vehicle was discovered in Pond Cove.

Father Believes His Mother Tried to Save the Children

It’s not yet clear how the vehicle ended up in the pond.

Peter later said he believes his mother desperately attempted to free Kinley and Sawyer after the vehicle entered the water.

For a father who had been celebrating his wedding only hours earlier, the loss meant suddenly grieving both of his children and his mother.

Peter described Kinley and Sawyer as the best children a father could have asked for.

Amid the devastation, he said he has found a small measure of comfort in knowing his children understood how deeply they were loved.

Friends also remembered Peter as a devoted father whose family meant everything to him.

Alec Jeannotte, a friend of the family, said becoming a father and having a family of his own had been one of Peter’s greatest hopes in life.

He described him as both a great father and a great friend.

What Caused the Vehicle to Enter the Pond Remains Unclear

Authorities have not determined publicly how Bukulmez’s vehicle ended up in the water.

The location where it was discovered has, however, been connected to a previous fatal incident.

In 2013, two hikers died after their vehicle entered the water near the same boat launch.

Following the latest tragedy, state Rep. Tiffany Strout said she was willing to work with the town or the Maine Department of Transportation if improvements could make signage around the ramp more visible to drivers.

The ramp is already marked, but Strout suggested additional measures could potentially provide a clearer warning that the roadway ahead leads toward the water.

For now, investigators have not publicly established exactly what happened during the grandmother’s final drive.

What began as a journey away from a family wedding ended only hours later with the discovery of three generations of the same family in Pond Cove — leaving a father mourning his mother, his 5-year-old daughter and his 3-year-old son at once.