SALISBURY — A search for a Fruitland man who capsized his kayak in a pond in Delmar late last Thursday afternoon ended in tragedy when his body was recovered the next morning.
Around 4 p.m. last Thursday, James Edward Cain, Jr., 42, of Fruitland, was kayaking in Leonard’s Mill Pond in Delmar when his vessel capsized, sending him into the water. Cain reportedly called for help and residents on either side of the pond attempted to recover the victim, who had gone under and did not resurface. A 911 call was placed and the Maryland Natural Resources Police (NRP) Underwater Operations Unit responded, along with fire and rescue crews from Delmar, Salisbury, Sharptown, Blades, West Side and Hebron.
Using scuba divers, vessels with side scan radar and bar drags, crews searched for the victim, who was not wearing a life jacket or personal flotation device at the time he capsized.
The search was called off around 9 p.m. on Thursday and resumed on Friday morning around 7 a.m. At about 11:45 a.m. last Friday, Cain’s body was recovered from the pond in an area with a depth of about 10 feet.
NRP’s Special Operations Division continues to investigate the incident, which is being considered a boating accident.