Seymour Military Vet Victimized By Pool Vandals

PHOTO: Ethan FrySeymour resident John Duquette is a U.S. Army veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Being in a war zone has given him some perspective.

So while he’s upset that some idiot or idiots cut up his pool liner early Saturday — the latest in a rash of such incidents in town — he’s not going to let it get the better of him, even though he doesn’t have the cash on hand to fix it.

I have PTSD from Iraq and take medication. I don’t know if I’m coming or going sometimes,” he said. When you get to that point where something pisses you off or makes you upset, you just sit back and go There’s nothing I can do.’”

The pool was the latest of many in town to be vandalized. A rash of similar incidents concentrated around South Main Street was reported this month.

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If they just had done a slash, we probably could have bought some material and fixed it,” Duquette said of the damage done to his pool — a tear he estimated is about 15 feet long. 

They totally destroyed it,” Duquette said.

The vandal or vandals also cut up some of the floats they use in the pool and a nearby garden hose. The family reported the incident to police Saturday.

We saw it Saturday morning,” Duquette said Monday. My wife started freaking out and crying.”

Afterward, Duquette took to Facebook to register his disgust.

Hi Seymour,” he wrote Saturday morning. To the person or persons responsible for destroying my pool last night. You better PRAY the police find you before I do.”

Duquette does not look like the type of person one would want to displease, especially after he learned over the weekend it will take $429 to fix the liner and another $780 to fill it with water.

But he was trying Monday to see whatever humor he could in the situation.

Like how he recalled his policy of letting his neighbors use the pool whenever they want.

I offer it to anybody. I say It’s here, use it, jump in,’” he said. Now they can jump in, but just watch out for the bottom.”

The family doesn’t exactly have upwards of $1,200 just lying around, so it looks like they won’t be enjoying their pool again for some time.

Even worse: they were home when the vandalism took place.

One of his daughters was shaking like a leaf” when they realized what had happened, Duquette said.

Though it won’t save his pool, he said he’d be taking measures to prevent future vandalism. I think I’m going to have to put some kind of a security light or something up,” he said.

Not known is whether pools besides the Duquettes’ were vandalized over the weekend. Seymour Police Department spokesman Lt. Paul Satkowski said Monday morning he had not yet learned details of the incident, and didn’t return a message left at his office later.

Duquette said he called police Saturday morning and that responding officers told him the case would be referred to detectives working the previous incidents. He said the officers were surprised to see another victim reporting pool damage caused by vandalism.

They thought it was all over with,” Duquette said.

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