What was supposed to be a joyful family weekend in Maine took an unexpected turn after a grandmother and her two young grandchildren failed to arrive at the place where they were expected to stay.
Sharon Bukulmez, 61, of Mount Desert, had left her son Peter Grubb’s wedding in Jonesboro on Saturday evening, September 19, with her grandchildren, 5-year-old Kinsley Grubb and 3-year-old Sawyer Grubb.
The three were heading toward Machias, where they were expected to stay at an Airbnb.
But they never arrived.
By around 8:30 p.m., the family knew something was wrong. When the grandmother and children could not be reached, relatives contacted authorities and a search began.
What investigators discovered the following morning would bring the search to a heartbreaking conclusion.
According to Maine State Police, officers were able to obtain location information from Bukulmez’s cellphone. The data pointed investigators toward an area near the public boat ramp at the end of Schoppee Point Road in Roque Bluffs.
Police and members of the Maine State Police Dive Team responded to the area, along with the Maine Marine Patrol.
At approximately 7 a.m. Sunday, September 20, authorities located a vehicle submerged in Pond Cove.
Bukulmez and both children were inside.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Coast Guard also assisted at the scene as the vehicle and the three individuals were recovered. Their remains were taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Augusta for examination.
At this stage, authorities have not publicly explained exactly how the vehicle entered the water.
That remains one of the central questions in the investigation.
Police have not announced that the incident was intentional, nor have they released a detailed account of what may have happened during the drive from Jonesboro toward Machias.
Instead, investigators have said that the circumstances remain under investigation and that additional information would not be released at this time.
For Peter Grubb, the situation was especially difficult because the wedding was supposed to mark one of the happiest moments of his life.
He had just celebrated his marriage to his partner when his mother left the gathering with his two children.
When they failed to arrive at the Airbnb, Peter began looking for them.
He spent much of the night trying to find his children, according to an interview with local station WMTW.
The cellphone information eventually gave investigators a location to search, leading them to the submerged vehicle near the Roque Bluffs boat ramp.
Peter has since spoken about his mother and his children, offering a glimpse into the family behind the investigation.
He described Kinsley and Sawyer as loving children and said they were the best pair of kids a father could ask for.
He also said that knowing his children understood how deeply they were loved has given him at least a small measure of peace during an incredibly difficult time.
His mother, Sharon, was also remembered by the people who knew her as someone who cared deeply about others.
She worked at Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor, where colleagues and friends remembered her for her dedication and kindness.
Peter’s longtime friends also shared memories of Sharon.
One of them, Alec Jeannotte, recalled spending time at the Grubb family home when they were teenagers. He said Sharon created a welcoming space for them during a period when they were still trying to find their way.
Years later, those same friends attended Peter’s wedding on September 19.
They remembered the evening as a beautiful celebration before the family’s plans changed so unexpectedly.
Now, those friends say they hope to honor Sharon by continuing the sense of community and generosity she showed to people around her.
The location where the vehicle was discovered has also drawn attention.
Local reports noted that the same general area near the Roque Bluffs boat ramp had been associated with another fatal incident more than a decade earlier.
That has prompted some local officials to discuss whether additional signs or other safety measures could make the area easier for drivers to navigate.
State Rep. Tiffany Strout said she was willing to work with local officials and the Maine Department of Transportation if changes were considered, including making warnings about the boat ramp more visible.
Still, investigators have not said that signage played a role in what happened to Bukulmez and the children.
At this point, that remains unknown.
The investigation is now focused on reconstructing the final portion of their journey and determining how their vehicle ended up submerged in Pond Cove.
The medical examiner’s office is also examining the circumstances surrounding the incident. Authorities have said that autopsies will be conducted as part of that process.
For the family, however, the investigation is only one part of what comes next.
They are also facing the painful task of remembering a grandmother who had spent her final evening celebrating her son and caring for two young grandchildren.
Kinsley and Sawyer were only 5 and 3 years old.
Their father had just celebrated his wedding, surrounded by family and friends, before spending the night searching for the two children he expected to see at the Airbnb.
Now, he is holding onto the memories of who they were and the love they shared as a family.
There are still important questions surrounding the incident.
Why did the vehicle leave the expected route?
How did it reach the water near the boat ramp?
Was there an unexpected problem during the drive?
And what exactly happened during those final moments before the vehicle became submerged?
Authorities have not yet provided those answers.
For now, Maine State Police continue to investigate, while the family and the local community remember Sharon, Kinsley and Sawyer for the lives they shared with the people around them — rather than only for the circumstances surrounding their final journey.
The investigation remains ongoing, and officials have said additional information will be released when appropriate.