Our family went to Sandy pond early Sunday morning 5/5/91 to measure the depth of the pond and to look for any of Aureet's belongings that might be at the bottom.  We knew that at least the leash of the dog was missing and expected that it might be there.  We rented diving gear and took with us a licensed diver, a rubber boat, cameras, and equipment for accurate measurements.

There has been a discrepancy between the Selectmen's statement in their report that the pond was 8 ft deep at the location where Aureet fell, and the statement of witnesses who told us that the pond was about  6 ft at that place.  In fact, the civilian who went on the ice in an attempt to rescue Aureet, using the heavy electric cord, was quite sure that the depth was about 6 ft. 

During the meeting with the Selectmen on 4/29/91 we asked them whether they had measured the depth of the pond since their report states a definite 8 ft value for the depth at the location of the accident.  Their answer was that they had not measured the depth of the water but that this number was based on a comment by the Maynard diver.  No such comment could be found in their written report or in the notes from the interview with the Maynard diver.

At Sandy pond the water was very clear and one could see all the way to the bottom of the pond.  We found the two leashes of the dog that belonged to Aureet; the short one and the long extendible one. Since the water was shallow, there was no need to use the diving gear.  The diver, who is 6'2" could stand with his head above water in most of this area.  We were careful to take accurate measurements of the depth as a function of distance. The results of the measurements are enclosed.

The measurement show that the depth of the water at the location of the accident was 5'6" within a maximum error of ±2" (See the measurements below).. The level of the water at the pond was practically the same as the level on 1/9/91 when we went there three days after the accident. The water level was known because of the level at the shore line. We took photographs and a video during our measurements.

Aureet's height was 5 ft 3 inches.

Depth measurements Sandy Pond on May 5, 1991 at the site of Aureet's accident

• Summary of Timeline
• Timeline
• Depth Measurements
• Map of Sandy Pond area
• Newspaper Articles
• Activities to Improve Rescue and Safety Procedures
• Contributions and Events in Aureet's Memory
• Ice Rescue