Roll of Honor
Incident
Sheriff John Webster and Deputy Sheriff Edwin Finn 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.
Sheriff Webster had been elected the previous year and had taken office on January 1, 1911.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-ME-F06EC52D- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew John. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sheriff Webster served with the Hancock County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Ellsworth community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Webster.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sheriff John E. Webster is one of 10,094 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,585 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. John E. Webster's cause is highlighted.
How John E. Webster Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. John E. Webster is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Hancock County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
