Missing fisherman tried saving dog after it jumped off boat, Maine officials say

A 22-year-old man tried to save his dog after it jumped off his boat as he was fishing, according to Maine authorities, who said he then went missing.

Maine Marine Patrol has been searching the Kennebec River for Robert Stolt, of Augusta, since his disappearance on July 6, the agency said in a July 7 news release.

Stolt was with a woman and another dog on his 23-foot boat near Lines Island that day, according to officials.

Around 2:10 p.m., someone called 911 about two people in the water, officials said.

Then authorities learned the woman and the second dog were rescued from the river by people who were boating in the area, according to authorities. The boaters brought them to shore.

Stolt’s dog was also found and rescued, Maine Marine Patrol said. The circumstances of his dog’s rescue were not specified.

First responders, including police and firefighters, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard and Maine State Police are helping Maine Marine Patrol in the search for Stolt.

On July 7, Maine Marine Patrol said the agency used boats and a plane to search the 145-mile-long river.

Maine Marine Patrol was expected to continue search efforts July 8, with help from the Maine Forest Service and a marine towing company, Sea Tow, WGME reported.

This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 3:35 PM with the headline "Missing fisherman tried saving dog after it jumped off boat, Maine officials say."

Julia Marnin

McClatchy DC

Julia Marnin covers courts for McClatchy News, writing about criminal and civil affairs, including cases involving policing, corrections, civil liberties, fraud, and abuses of power. As a reporter on McClatchy’s National Real-Time Team, she’s also covered the COVID-19 pandemic and a variety of other topics since joining in 2021, following a fellowship with Newsweek. Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, she was raised in South Jersey and is now based in New York State.