State police: Deaths of Maine grandmother, grandkids in submerged car not suspicious
Woman and Two Grandchildren Found Dead in Submerged Car Near Roque Bluffs
A 61‑year‑old woman from Mount Desert Island and her two young grandchildren were discovered in a car that had plunged into the ocean off Roque Bluffs on Sunday morning, police say. The trio, Sharon Bukulmez, 61, and her 3‑ and 5‑year‑old grandchildren Kinsley and Sawyer Grubb, disappeared after leaving a wedding in Jonesboro on Saturday night.
Bukulmez, a resident of Bar Harbor, had left the ceremony at about 8:30 p.m. Saturday with the children, intending to drive to Machias to visit a family friend. The journey from Jonesboro to Machias is only about seven and a half miles and should take roughly ten minutes, yet the family never reached their destination.
Family members notified police that evening. Investigators traced the last known location of Bukulmez’s cellphone to a boat ramp on Schoppee Point Road in Roque Bluffs, a Down East community with fewer than 300 residents. A search team arrived Sunday morning and found the vehicle submerged in Pond Cove, with all three occupants still inside.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has not yet completed autopsies, and the cause and manner of death remain undetermined. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has declined to comment, directing inquiries to the Maine State Police.
“We are still piecing together what happened, but we don’t believe these deaths are suspicious,” said Shannon Moss, a spokesperson for Maine State Police. “It’s going to be a long and thorough investigation. Hopefully we can get the cause and manner of death in the next few days.”
The spot where the bodies were found is a familiar and sometimes treacherous stretch of road. The asphalt slopes directly into the ocean, serving as the town’s public boat launch. There is no gate or barrier at the entrance, and the area is largely unlit at night. Two large fluorescent signs reading “ROAD ENDS” are located near the launch but are not illuminated.
“People have told me that the stretch of Schoppee Point Road leading to the boat launch is largely unlit. There are signs, but they aren’t lit,” a local resident shared on social media.
The weather on Saturday night was clear, and fog was not considered a factor in the incident, according to Moss.
The tragedy has prompted an outpouring of support from the Down East community. Jennifer Sargent, owner of the Southwest Harbor child‑care center where the children attended, has announced a basketball scholarship in remembrance of Sawyer’s love for the sport. POP Thrift, a shop in nearby Bernard, has pledged to donate all proceeds from Wednesday onward to the Grubb family.
“We had the privilege of attending their wedding just days ago, which makes the news of this tragedy feel especially difficult to put into words,” store owner Erin Helget wrote in a Facebook post.
Sargent reflected on the children’s friendship, noting, “The Grubb children were absolute best friends. Every activity, every play session, every move, Kinsley made, she took Sawyer along with her, and if he wasn’t close, she’d seek him out.”
The area has a history of similar incidents. In 2013, a pair of hikers were found dead in a submerged minivan at the same spot after fog caused them to lose control. In 2005, a local resident, Jason Alexander, narrowly escaped after inadvertently driving off the same road into the water.
Maine police continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the deaths, while the community mourns the loss of a mother and two young children.
