The Maine Warden Service continues to investigate possible reasons why a 21-year-old Anson man got into trouble crossing the Kennebec River and drowned Thursday night.

“I don’t know what the deal is,” said Lt. Kevin Adam of the Warden Service on Monday. “We’ve tried to come up with a reason as to what happened to him, and I don’t know if we’ll ever know. He just started to say he was tired and he needed help.”

The body of Jordan Cummings was recovered from the river Friday morning after he drowned while trying to swim across the river between the towns of Anson and Madison Thursday night.

Cummings was trying to reach a rope swing near the Nathan Street boat launch in Madison, said Adam. The spot is a common swimming area and is considered safe, he said, although it is not as common for swimmers to try to reach the swing from the Anson side of the river.

One of two friends with Cummings tried to rescue him but was unsuccessful and had to be pulled from the water by rescue crews on the scene.

Cummings is the son of Skowhegan Police Department Sgt. Joel Cummings. A woman who answered the door at his home Monday said the family did not want to comment. His mother, Dusty-Lyn Burns, of Embden, could not be reached.

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Adams said the Warden Service will speak again with the family in an effort to figure out what happened.

“We are trying to get the questions answered, but the family needs time,” said Adam.

Cummings attended the Garret Schenck Elementary School in Anson and graduated from the Central Maine Learning Center in Belgrade.

A graveside service has been planned for Friday at 11 a.m. Friday at Forest Hill Cemetery in Madison.

Barry, who also oversees the Trinity Men’s Shelter in Skowhegan, said he got to know Cummings while he stayed at the shelter for about a year.

He had come to the shelter with a lot of struggles but worked hard to turn his life around, said Berry.

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“He was a really good kid when he left,” he said. “I’m sorry it happened. He was a real nice kid.”

Rachel Ohm — 612-2368

rohm@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @rachel_ohm


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