Man who drowned in Maine river while fishing with son on Father’s Day has been identified

The New Hampshire man who drowned while fishing with his son on Father’s Day has been identified.

James Wescott, 56, of Fremont, New Hampshire, was fly-fishing with his son, 34-year-old Jarod Wescott of Norridgewock, below the Solon Dam on the Kennebec River in Embden about 8 a.m. Sunday, according to Mark Latti, a spokesperson for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.

The elder Wescott attempted to walk out to a gravel bar when he lost his footing and fell into the rushing water, which quickly filled his waders and began washing him downstream, Latti said Monday night.

Jarod Wescott tried to save his father, but the added weight from the water and the swift current “made it impossible to get James back to shore,” Latti said.

Jarod Wescott swam to shore and ran to an ATV trail, where he flagged a passerby down to call 911 for help.

Rescuers quickly found James Wescott, but he was unresponsive and didn’t survive, according to Latti.

No additional information was immediately available.