Family rescues distressed moose in lake

By Ed Pierce

Monday evening June 30 was supposed to be nothing more than a relaxing sunset cruise around Sebago Lake, but it turned out to be a life-saving trip for a family visiting the Lakes Region from Massachusetts.

The Chasse Family, visiting from
Massachusetts for the holiday, were boating
on Sebago Lake on Monday night when
they encountered a large moose in distress
struggling to swim and trying to keep its head
above water. Along with a passing couple in
a motorboat, they teamed up and were able to
gently guide the moose back to the shoreline
and to safety. SUBMITTED PHOTO    

For years, the Chasse Family of Salem, Mass. has been spending the 4th of July holiday at Point Sebago Resort in Casco and enjoyed a leisurely day and dinner before opting to watch the sunset out on the lake.

With six family members aboard their pontoon boat, they set out from shore but got about halfway out on Sebago Lake before spotting something unusual.

“My younger sister saw what she thought at first was a buoy in middle of the lake, but when we got closer, we noticed that it was a huge moose fighting to keep its head above the water,” said Samantha Chasse, 19. “The moose’s ears were back, and it was having a difficult time swimming in the lake. Our family just didn’t know what to do, so we started calling the police and the warden service to see if they could help us.”

She said none of the agencies that the family called were able to respond and the moose continued to struggle in the water.

Thinking that the moose could drown being so far offshore, they chose to maneuver their boat directly behind the moose at a distance to see if they could gently guide the large creature back toward land.

“We took it upon ourselves to try and help an animal that was trying to survive. We had been doing that for a while when we noticed a couple in a passing motorboat and we flagged them down,” Chasse said. “They agreed to help us, and they got on one side of the moose, and we got on the other side and started slowly steering it back to the shoreline.”

According to Chasse, the coordinated efforts of both boats and through sheer determination, they were able to slowly guide the exhausted animal back to land and safety after about 30 minutes.

Moose are the largest members of the deer family, with adult males standing 6 feet tall at the shoulder and weighing between 1,200 and 1,600 pounds. Female moose typically weigh between 800 and 1,300 pounds.

As they got closer to what is known locally as “Cub Cove” between Casco and Raymond, the moose appeared to realize it was near the shoreline and appeared to become stronger, climbing out onto the beach, before it exhibited an unusual gesture.

“Once it reached the shore, it stopped and turned its head toward us as if to say thanks,” Chasse said. “Then it turned around and ran into the woods. We could see it was a huge animal as it ran off and we were all cheering that it was safe.”

For Chasse, it was the first moose she has ever seen in Maine.

“We’ve been coming to Maine for years and we have all grown up around Sebago Lake. We have seen plenty of deer and bears, but have never seen a moose,” she said. “It truly was an awesome experience.”

She said saving the moose is something all members of her family can be grateful for.

“I’m an animal lover and have been for my entire life,” she said. “To be involved in something like this in helping an animal in trouble is just incredible and I’m grateful to have been a part of it.”

Chasse says that their swift actions not only saved the moose’s life but also remind them of the power of unity being a good citizen.

“This remarkable moment is a testament to what can happen when people set aside differences and act out of kindness,” she said. “We hope this story inspires others to look out for both wildlife and one another.” <

Raymond appoints new lead Code Enforcement Officer

By Dina Mendros

The Raymond Code Enforcement Office has a new head of the department, but he isn’t exactly a new face. Jason Williamson was hired last July as the assistant head of the town’s Code Enforcement Office, and after some on-the-job training by Chris Hanson, he was promoted to his new position by the Raymond Select Board on June 9.

Jay Williamson has been promoted from
Assistant Code Enforcement officer to
be the head Code Enforcement Officer
for the Town of Raymond by the
Raymond Select Board. He has worked
for the town since July 2024.
COURTESY PHOTO   

Williamson, 46, who is married with two young children built a home in Raymond and he and his family moved there about four years ago. He graduated from the University of New Hampshire and has a background in carpentry and building.

He says he got to a point where he didn’t think carpentry and building was a kind of work that he could do for many more years, so he decided to go into code enforcement.

“I thought maybe this would be a good transition for me,” he said.

Williamson says he enjoys his code enforcement job, which he finds both challenging and rewarding.

“The biggest challenges, I would say are when you’re dealing with some issues that crop up with neighbors,” he said. “It seems like you’re taking sides … but you’re really trying to be fair and not infringe on anybody’s rights.” Getting people to see the other side’s point of view “can be extremely difficult,” he said.

Some of the most rewarding parts of his job, Williamson says, include “I’ve gotten to meet a lot of really great people.” He said, “it’s nice when you can help someone figure out and navigate the ordinances and the codes to build a house.”

Also rewarding, Williamson said, is helping people figure out how to work with some of their land so they can sell it to a relative for them to build a house.

“It’s definitely rewarding if you can get somewhere for someone to live,” he said. “Housing is difficult to find these days and when someone can put on an addition to bring in an aging parent or for their child who can’t afford a place. I would say that’s probably the most rewarding.”

An important part of the job, Williamson says, has to do with enforcing shoreline zoning and protecting the waterways, as much of the building that takes place in Raymond is along or near lakes.

For example, in 2021 the town of Raymond was alerted to significant changes along Sebago Lake that violated shoreline zoning. The property owner reached a settlement in the past year which included payment to the town of $640,000 for legal fees and damages as well as replanting trees and shrubs and more, according to a report aired on WGME television.

Although this took place before Williamson was hired, he says that he’s responsible for making sure the remediation takes place and is on track.

“Protecting the water quality, making sure and informing homeowners when they are doing projects in and around the lakes and showing them how to do it in a manner that’s going to be respectful to the lake,” is one of his biggest responsibilities. Williamson said, “Everybody wants to do what they want with their property, but most people understand that there’s a responsibility of being down by the water. When you get people who understand is the most rewarding, I would say.”

According to Williamson, there’s no such thing as a typical day in code enforcement because “each situation can be so different.”

“Some days you might have two, three, four people come in just to make a complaint,” he said. “Other days you’ll have a lakefront property come up for sale and you’ll be fielding calls from real estate agents pretty much one right after the other because the competition is so fierce.”

Other reasons a typical day is hard to define, Williamson said, can be because the types of duties the department takes on not only includes code enforcement but also building inspections and land use. There are a lot of different responsibilities to the job and with only four people in the department, with only two of whom are code enforcers, staff are filling a lot of different shoes.

During his tenure with the town of Raymond’s Code Enforcement Office, Williamson says, “I’ve learned how difficult and multifaceted the job is. I hope I can perform in the job as well as I can.” <