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By MEGHAN V. MALLOY
Staff Writer 11/12/2007

enlarge Staff photo by David Leaming

BODY RECOVERED: Terry Hughes, assistant dive team commander of the Maine Warden Service, speaks with reporters after announcing that the body of Thomas Kopp, 69, of Waterville, was recovered around 10 am Sunday morning from Great Pond, background, in Belgrade. Kopp fell into the cold water on Saturday after the boat containing four others capsized. The body was found in 10 feet of water near Schute Island.

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Thomas Kopp, 69, of Waterville, died Saturday.

Kopp, the senior associate dean of admissions for Colby College in Waterville, was on a camping trip with his son, Michael Kopp, of Rhode Island, and his three grandsons, ages 14, 12, and 10, Lt. Pat Dorian of the Maine Warden Service said. Dorian declined to release the children's names.

The warden service was called to Great Pond in Belgrade around noon Saturday, after receiving a call that the aluminum skiff had capsized, sending its five occupants in the water.

"Their boat became overloaded and a wave came up and literally flipped the boat over," Dorian said.

Neither Thomas nor Mike Kopp were wearing life jackets.

Thomas Kopp, an employee of the private college for nearly 30 years, started at Colby in 1978 as the assistant football coach, college spokesman Stephen Collins said. Kopp was promoted to head football coach before moving into the admissions department in 1983.

"He quickly rose through the ranks," Collins said of Kopp's time in the admissions department. Kopp had been dean for a decade.

Colby College President William Adams said the college community was "stricken" to hear the news of Kopp's death.

"He was a wonderful, solid Colby citizen," Adams said. "Tom was extraordinarily upbeat and we all understood his deep love for the college. He was a very great presence here."

Kopp had an apparent fondness for athletics. Described as being in "excellent shape for his age" by Collins, Kopp was passionate about sports, football in particular.

The Connecticut native coached football at the University of Connecticut and Dartmouth College before coming to Colby, Collins said. Kopp also worked for the Minnesota Twins organization, according to his resume.

Kopp's daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Kane Kopp, is also employed at Colby College as an environmental studies coordinator.

Collins said he believes Kopp is survived by his wife, Melinda "Mimi" Kopp, four children and several grandchildren. The family declined comment Sunday night through several spokespeople.

Deaths in gripping cold water are rare in central Maine, but they do happen, Dorian said.

"I'd guess the water was in the low 40s," Dorian said of the water temperature. "You would probably die within minutes --10 or 15 minutes at the most. You become hypothermic so quickly and you can't function."

Dorian said he wasn't sure when the last incident such as this took place but said, "I know it's been quite a long while."

Meghan V. Malloy -- 623-3811 Ext. 431

mmalloy@centralmaine.com

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