The Maine Warden Service found the body of a missing hunter in the area of New Portland in remote Somerset County on Sunday.

Todd Babula, 59, of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, was found at approximately 3:30 p.m. in heavily wooded area north of the ITS 84 snowmobile trail between Route 27 and Atwood Hill Road, according to a press release from Lt. Kevin Adam, search and rescue coordinator for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife. A team of several wardens doing a search for known tree stands he would use located his body.

New Portland Fire Department also assisted Game Wardens. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner was notified.

Game wardens were searching for Babula after he was reported missing Saturday, according to an earlier press release from Adam.

Babula has a camp in the area and has hunted deer in the woods off of Route 27 and the ITS 84 snowmobile trail for many years.

Adam said Babula’s vehicle became stuck on a woods road Friday sometime in the morning. The road also is part of ITS 84 snowmobile trail. Babula made arrangements to have some local neighbors assist him in getting the truck unstuck later in the afternoon, Adam said.

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Babula’s uncle dropped him off to hunt near his truck on Friday afternoon at approximately 1 pm. Bablula’s friends and family had not seen or heard from him since.

Babula was reported missing by his uncle at about 5 p.m. Saturday. Game wardens responded and found Babula’s vehicle, and used several different resources and techniques to try and find Babula on Saturday night.

Game Wardens resumed the search Sunday morning to include warden tracking dogs, warden service aircraft and some local residents to search the woods and have located several different tree stands that Babula frequented.

Wardens said Babula was wearing green wool pants, an orange baseball cap with ear covers, a red jacket and orange vest.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

dharlow@centralmaine.com

Twitter:@Doug_Harlow


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