Originally Posted by tis (Post 316785)

I just couldn't imagine leaving a friend behind and ASSUMING he left with somebody else. Wow.

Originally Posted by ishoot308 (Post 316789)

OK so friends left him there by accident...but how does a 34 year old man drown?? His friends were certainly not the cause of his drowning...

Something is very odd here...

Dan

Originally Posted by Patiently Watching (Post 316812)

I would be shocked if alcohol/drugs are not involved.
Given what I have seen at Braun Bay over the last few years, it seems it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.
The State of NH needs to address the rafting and partying over there before someone else ends up dead.

Originally Posted by Patiently Watching (Post 316812)

I would be shocked if alcohol/drugs are not involved.
Given what I have seen at Braun Bay over the last few years, it seems it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.
The State of NH needs to address the rafting and partying over there before someone else ends up dead.

Originally Posted by joey2665 (Post 316818)

That is a tremendous assumption you are making. The best thing would be to wait for the autopsy before we start casting stones at the people who raft in that area. (side note, I have never rafted there). Why would you think someone else could end up dead? I have been by and anchored across from there many times. Just a bunch of people having fun, I have never see anything life threatening

Originally Posted by thinkxingu (Post 316820)

Every summer for the last six we have owned on Winni, there has been at least one tragic accident--diving, falling, etc.--and multiple reports of incapacitated interventions. It's not a tremendous assumption at all.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Winnipesaukee Forum mobile app

Originally Posted by Patiently Watching (Post 316812)

I would be shocked if alcohol/drugs are not involved.
Given what I have seen at Braun Bay over the last few years, it seems it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.
The State of NH needs to address the rafting and partying over there before someone else ends up dead.

Originally Posted by Patiently Watching (Post 316812)

I would be shocked if alcohol/drugs are not involved.
Given what I have seen at Braun Bay over the last few years, it seems it was only a matter of time before something like this happened.
The State of NH needs to address the rafting and partying over there before someone else ends up dead.

Originally Posted by Sue Doe-Nym (Post 316842)

The person could have been submerged, not at water’s surface. Besides, if you weren’t looking for something specific, it wouldn’t necessarily be that visible.....
Plus partying people on boat weren’t paying attention....just a guess on my part. People tend to be far too casual around the water...that’s a huge generalization, but true, sad to say, and can lead to senseless tragedy.

Originally Posted by Phantom (Post 316851)

I agree with those who say -- "Let's wait for the facts" and STOP armchair speculations of what could have been or not.

However - the one thing that stood out as EXTREMELY odd was the comment made in the Laconia Daily ….. "The following morning, the friends located Whitehill's untouched personal effects. When they returned to Braun Bay"

Where in God's name does someone store their personal stuff at Braun Bay ?? Granted it has been many many years since we last visited that sandbar for our personal reason ……. I never recall any sandy beach area, or anyone one the actual shoreline (perhaps it's changed).

Originally Posted by Phantom (Post 316851)

I agree with those who say -- "Let's wait for the facts" and STOP armchair speculations of what could have been or not. However - the one thing that stood out as EXTREMELY odd was the comment made in the Laconia Daily ….. "The following morning, the friends located Whitehill's untouched personal effects. When they returned to Braun Bay". Where in God's name does someone store their personal stuff at Braun Bay ?? Granted it has been many many years since we last visited that sandbar for our personal reason ……. I never recall any sandy beach area, or anyone one the actual shoreline (perhaps it's changed).

Originally Posted by Phantom (Post 317571)

Just out of curiosity ………. has any further details been released that I may have missed ?

Originally Posted by Shera (Post 371885)

I realize this thread is from almost 3 years ago but I am the stepmother-in-law and there are so many guesses in this thread that are way off base and it just doesn't seem like that long ago to us.

Ben was at a bachelor party and there were several cars they used to transport people from the rented house to the lake so it was not strange that his friends just thought he was in a different car. This is why no one noticed him missing other than his wife who was in a full-blown panic because he was not answering phone calls or texts.

Ben's autopsy showed NO drugs or alcohol in his system. It did show that he had an enlarged heart and distorted aorta which caused him to faint. Had he not been in 3 feet of water or, had someone seen him go under, he probably could have been treated for his conditions. He was an active, fit man who'd shown no signs of issues before. No one happened to be looking when he fainted. He had a 2 year old daughter (now 5) who is aware she had an amazing Dad.

He was not drunk & he was not on drugs, and his friends were not awful for mistakenly leaving him behind.