Last Mission Remembered

My father’s boat,

The Tumblehome, Monhegan Island, Maine

Tuesday, January 12, 1993

As reported by staff writer, Leanne M. Robicheau, The Courier Gazette, Rockland, Maine

MONHEGAN – “the smaller the community, the more any one person’s contribution means” Peter Boehmer

Early Sept 20, while bringing his boat to the dock at Port Clyde, Robert Boody suffered a fatal stroke at the helm.

He was taking part in an early morning emergency rescue of a diabetic woman, bringing her from Monhegan to an ambulance waiting on the mainland. The ambulance took him away instead. The diabetic patient was later recovered. Her rescuer never regained consciousness, and died shortly after.

The St. George, Thomaston and Monhegan emergency medical teams were recently recognized for their part in an extraordinary double rescue effort.

Boody, who made the rescue possible, was a 55-year-old New York City man, who made the island his home. For 17 years he was a Coast Guard veteran who served in many search and rescue posts and had other duties, including the Rockland Breakwater lighthouse before it was mechanized. After retiring from the service he settled on Monhegan with his wife, Maryann.

This story comes from records of the St. George ambulance team.

Early Morning Call

At 4:30 am Sept 20, the St. George emergency medical team was dispatched to Monhegan, the island some nine nautical miles out of Port Clyde, to help a 50-year old woman found unconscious there.

The Monhegan Emergency Rescue Service attended, but St. George was called because there was no paramedic on the island that night.

The MERS bundled their patient into Bob Boody’s lobster boat and set out into the dark, heading for Port Clyde and planning to rendezvous at sea with the St George team.

Nobody could know that this would be his last trip. A calm sea was running, and visibility was good although no moon could be seen there was a light haze.

Meanwhile, the St. George team arrived in Port Clyde only to learn that the marine vessel Medomak was unavailable. Paramedic Tom Judge, Anne Miller and firefighter Mike Smith commandeered a fast outboard powerboat and raced out to sea.

Boody’s boat came into view around 5:20am, half a mile off Monhegan. The St. George team boarded and Boody once more threw the engine in gear and set off for Port Clyde,

Judge looked over the patient. She was awake and cold, having responded to treatment by MERS members Bill Baker, Faryl Hendersen and Amy Mellenbacher. With her on Boody’s deck were friends and family members.

About one hour later, after passing Burnt Island where Boody was also stationed in his Coast Guard days, the harbor buildings of Port Clyde came into view. Waiting at the landing was the St. George ambulance. Boody steered his boat toward the ferry dock.

Suddenly something was not right. Miller noticed that the boat was not slowing down. Glancing at Boody she saw him collapsed over the wheel but still holding on.

Jumping forward she shifted the engine into neutral and grabbed the wheel from Boody’s unresponsive hands, as the boat hit the dock.

Realizing that a new emergency was unfolding before their eyes, Judge and Hendersen quickly laid Boody down on his own deck and gave him oxygen. He did not respond to any of their urgent questions.

Suddenly Boody was in greater need of treatment than his passenger. The waiting ambulance crew radioed for assistance from Thomaston, then rushed Boody to Penobscot Bay Medical Center in Rockport. The original patient followed Boody five minutes later in the Thomaston ambulance.

Boody had suffered a massive stroke, from which he never recovered. He died at the hospital Sept 21 after completing his last rescue mission.