A newlywed man has been left grief-stricken after his mother and two young children were killed on the night of his wedding, when the car carrying them plunged into the water near a boat ramp in Roque Bluffs, Maine. Sharon Bukulmez, 61, and her grandchildren — Kinsley Grubb, five, and Sawyer Grubb, three — were found submerged in a vehicle the morning after the tragedy, devastating a family that had gathered to celebrate.
What Happened on the Night of the Wedding
Sharon Bukulmez had been tasked with driving Kinsley and Sawyer the short distance from the wedding venue to the family's Airbnb accommodation. The three were last seen leaving the venue at approximately 8.30pm. When they failed to arrive, groom Peter Grubb grew alarmed and launched a search of the surrounding area, including the nearby beach, while other family members alerted police.
Investigators used phone data to trace Bukulmez's movements to the water near a boat ramp in Roque Bluffs. At around 7am the following morning, police located the submerged vehicle. All three occupants — grandmother and both grandchildren — were found dead.
Peter Grubb said investigators told him his mother died in the water while attempting to help his children escape the sinking car. Despite the unbearable loss, the heartbroken father said he took "a slight sense of peace" from knowing his children felt loved.
"They were the best pair of kids a father could ask for," he said.
A Community and Workplace Mourns Sharon Bukulmez
Peter Grubb described his mother as a deeply caring woman who worked at a hospital. Mount Desert Island Hospital confirmed her employment and said it was "deeply saddened" by her death. Friends and community members echoed that sentiment, painting a picture of a woman defined by her generosity and devotion to her grandchildren.
A fundraising campaign established for the family raised more than $US74,000 (approximately $A104,145) within a single day. Organiser Bo Greene described Kinsley and Sawyer as children who "lit up the lives of their parents," and wrote that Bukulmez was "the kindest person I've ever known."
"Where she beamed brightest, however, was in the love of and care for her two grandchildren," Greene wrote. "There was absolutely nothing she wouldn't do for them. Her absence will leave a palpable hole in this community forever."
Greene also paid tribute to Peter and his new wife Becca, describing them as "incredibly hard working parents, trying to create the best life for their young family."
A Deadly Spot With a Troubled History
The boat ramp where the vehicle entered the water has claimed lives before. A 2013 incident at the same location killed two people under similar circumstances, a tragedy that prompted the installation of warning signs on the ramp. Now, more than a decade later, local representative Tiffany Strout has indicated she is prepared to push for improved safety measures at the site.
Strout said she would work to "make the signage more visible to better alert those driving in the area that the ramp leads to water." She described herself as "so heartbroken" by the deaths of Bukulmez and the two young children.
Investigation Ongoing as Family Grieves
Authorities confirmed that an investigation into the cause and manner of the three deaths remains ongoing. No findings have yet been released publicly.
For Peter Grubb and his wife Becca, what should have been the first night of married life became one of incomprehensible loss. The couple now face the task of rebuilding in the wake of a tragedy that took a mother, a grandmother, and two beloved children in a single night — a loss that has shaken not only their family, but an entire community.
As families across Australia know too well, the sudden and unexpected loss of loved ones can leave wounds that never fully heal. Another family seeking answers after a sudden death has similarly faced the agonising wait for official findings in recent months.
