CAPE ELIZABETH — The body of a Cape Elizabeth man was recovered Tuesday in Sebago Lake after a two-day search by the Maine Warden Service. Authorities say they aren’t sure yet what caused the drowning.

Sean Casey, 21, was reported missing Monday afternoon by friends when he didn’t resurface after swimming and diving behind a motor boat. Casey and four friends had been swimming for just a few minutes when friends noticed he had disappeared, according to Jason Luce, the warden who led the investigation.

“There doesn’t seem to be anything unusual about it,” Luce said. “Unfortunately it’s a tragic incident.” 

Luce said he’s still waiting for the medical examiner’s report, and that no toxicology results had been released yet.

The five young people in the boat had stopped on the lake and were looking for a marina at which they could get gas when the four got in to swim, Luce said. When Casey didn’t resurface, a friend jumped in after him, but was unable to locate him so called 911.

The Warden Service began searching at 4:30 p.m. Monday, but called the search off for the night. His body was found Tuesday by a diver at 12:45 p.m. in about 50 feet of water in Jordan Bay in Standish. Windham police, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Department, and the Windham/Raymond/Standish rescue team were also involved in the search.

Luce said the 911 call itself is likely the reason wardens and police aren’t still searching. “Technology is a wonderful thing,” he said. When 911 calls are made from cell phones, the GPS position of the phone is recorded by the dispatch center. “We used those (coordinates) to set a pin point” around which the search focused.

Casey updated his Facebook profile page Sunday afternoon, announcing he’d be at “Big Sebago till Tuesday.” After his drowning was announced Tuesday morning, messages, condolences, and photos from friends were posted on the page.

Casey was a 2006 graduate of Portland High School, and attended Southern Maine Community College, where he played second base for the men’s baseball team. This summer he also played in Portland’s Twilight League.

His parents live in Cape Elizabeth, where both work for the school department. John Casey is assistant principal at Cape Elizabeth Middle School, and Deborah Casey is a seventh grade teacher.

A celebration of Casey’s life will be held Saturday at 3 p.m. at the Fort Williams soccer field.

Sarah Trent can be reached at 781-3661 ext. 108 or strent@theforecaster.net.

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