Incident
Deputy Sheriff Edwin Finn and Sheriff John Webster drowned when their boat capsized in Green Lake.
The two were returning to Ellsworth after interviewing two men at Camp Comfort about a burglary that had occurred at another camp the previous week. Sheriff Webster did not suspect the two men at Camp Comfort, but wanted to interview them for additional information about the area.
Sheriff Webster and Deputy Finn went to the camp on foot and interviewed the men. It is believed that they then borrowed a boat from the men in order to return to Ellsworth, using the lake as a shortcut. The winds on the lake were extremely strong and caused the boat to capsize. The two men in the camp heard the lawmen in distress and attempted to rescue them when their boat also capsized. All four drowned in the lake.
Deputy Finn had been appointed a deputy when Sheriff Webster took office on January 1st, 1911. He had previously served as City Marshal of Ellsworth.
Deputy Finn, it has been 113 years since you were taken from us. Northern New England law enforcement continues to serve and protect and make life secure for our part of the country. I honor your 11 years of law enforcement service to the citizens of Ellsworth and Hancock County.
Chief (Ret) Steven Marshall Georges Mills, NH November 22nd, 2024
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-ME-DA131543- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Finn gave the Hancock County Sheriff's Office 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Ellsworth community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Finn.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Edwin T. Finn is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In ME, 41 of 102 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 40.2% of this state's fallen. That is 9.2 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Hancock County Sheriff's Office, 3 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Edwin T. Finn's cause is highlighted.
How Edwin T. Finn Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Edwin T. Finn is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Hancock County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
