Christopher Pinkham, 44, of Boothbay, described by his friends as a hard worker, devoted husband and father, drowned in a tragic boating accident off Portland harbor on Thursday, Jan. 23. He was working as a mate on the fishing vessel, Haley Ann, when the boat sank. The boat’s owner, Arnold “Joe” Nickerson IV, 60, of Arundel, also drowned. The two men were recovered by the crew of the fishing vessel Ella Christine after the U.S. Coast Guard responded to the vessel’s emergency beacon at around 12:23 p.m., said USCG public affairs Petty Officer Zachary Hupp.

The Coast Guard responded from AIRSTA Cape Cod, Massachusetts with two Sikorsky MH-60 Jayhawks, one EADS HC-144 Ocean Sentry and cutter Steelhead, said USCG Northeast in a 2:24 p.m. tweet. The Ella Christine recovered the bodies around 1:45 p.m. and crews coordinated transport to shore.

At 7:25 p.m., USCG released two back-to-back tweets: “Upon arriving on scene, an USCGNortheast air rescue crew in an HC-144 observed a sinking fishing boat and a floating life raft. Approximately 20 minutes later, a rescue helicopter crew arrived on scene. The helicopter crew observed 2 people in the water. A rescue swimmer was lowered into the water. The swimmer was able to confirm that the raft was empty, and the 2 people in the water were unresponsive.”

The tragedy set the region into action to financially help the Pinkham family, which includes his wife Jessica, and two young daughters, Cedelia, who will be 3 on March 1, and Dorothy, 6. A Go Fund Me page, “Assistance for family of fallen Maine fisherman,” was set up by Jennifer Adams and, at press time, over $60,000 had been pledged. At the high school basketball game on Friday night, donations for the family were collected and Boothbay and Winthrop fans contributed $3,048 with the BRHS Boosters Club kicking in $500. Boosters Club president Michelle Bouchard also reported on Facebook that Paul Coulombe has donated $10,000 to the Pinkham family. Donations are also being collected at First National Bank and several businesses, including A Silver Lining, Coastal Maine Popcorn, Farm 23, Janson’s and others. Fundraisers for the family are scheduled at T & D Variety on Jan. 30 and at Footbridge Brewery on Feb. 1.

There has been outpouring of support from friends and relatives through visits with the family and Facebook/Go Fund Me posts. Jessica said one of her favorite Facebook posts from a friend read: “Jess, I’ve always admired the companionship you and Chris shared. You both set an example for me about what true love is. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

In her own Facebook post, Jessica wrote on Monday, “There are no words that can express how thankful I am to live in such a loving and supportive community. My girls and I are forever grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received during this tragic time.”

Family and fishing

“We are team family,” said Jessica on Tuesday. “Chris’s number one thing in life was family and he used that term a lot. And I am continuing to use it with the girls.”

Chris’s work life was fishing. His sister, Cindy Pinkham Pearce, saved an article done by former Portland Press Herald reporter Anna Lyon on Chris working with his father, Murray Pinkham, on Murray’s lobster boat when he was 14. She posted photos of the article on her Facebook account a few days after the accident.

“He was on the water all the time,” said Jessica. “He’d take jobs whenever anyone called or texted him. He waited 13 years to get his lobstering license back and just got it back in April.” Chris also worked other jobs, painting with Steve Lorrain and at Bath Iron Works for a while, said Jessica.

“He worked hard and he did it for us, his family,” said Jessica. Chris and Jessica were married in 2012.

But it was mostly about family when Jessica, Cindy and another sister, Debbie Todte, talked about Chris.

Although she said Chris was quiet, he had a “devilish” demeanor when it came to being around family. “People said he was my biggest kid,” said Jessica.

“I remember him getting my kids all wound up,” said Debbie. That was echoed by Cindy. “They’ll always remember him for that,” said Cindy.

When he wasn’t working, Chris and the family would go camping, go to a trampoline park, the YMCA and many other places. Jessica has dozens of photos of Chris doing activities with his girls, whether it was building an indoor fort with sheets and pillows on New Year’s Eve, coloring along with them in coloring books, having them on his lobster boat, or dressing up for Halloween.

“He and Dorothy were forever playing ‘Truth or Dare,’” said Jessica. Erik Ward, a friend who stopped by at Jessica’s mother, Verona “Ronnie” Wagstaff’s house, to talk about Chris, said he went with the family recently to the Farm 23 bakery and that Chris challenged Dorothy to put a whole cupcake in her mouth. “She pretty much did it, but then all the crumbs fell out.”

Jessica said Chris was ready to dress up in rainbow colors for the JoJo Siwa concert in May, tickets he bought as a Christmas present for Dorothy. One of the last videos she has of Chris is him reading bedtime stories to the girls. 

And the last phone text Jessica received from him on Jan. 23 included photos of Portland harbor as the Haley Ann headed out for a day of fishing. The text read: “I love you, baby. I’ll be back soon. Tell the girls I love them.”

A celebration of life service for Chris will be held Sunday, Feb. 9 at 1 p.m. at the Opera House in Boothbay Harbor.