A 7-year-old swept into the Atlantic Ocean at Acadia National Park on Sunday by Hurricane Bill's waves was pronounced dead after being pulled from the cold waters, while 13 others also hit by the massive wave were injured with a variety of broken bones and bruises.
The unidentified girl was among three park visitors washed into the ocean. There were reports that two others also were missing in the ocean, but Acadia Chief Ranger Stuart West couldn't confirm them.
“We don’t know. We received a report that as many as five people were washed into the ocean, we can only confirm that three were," Ranger West said.
The prospect of watching high seas smash into the coast of Maine brought thousands to the park Sunday. An estimated 10,000 visitors were gathered along the park shoreline near the popular Thunder Hole, a crack in the park's granite foundation that features spectacular wave explosions during high seas, around noon when one of the waves washed over those gathered to watch.
“We’ve had seas the result of Hurricane Bill between 12 and 15 feet. That's a big attraction to everyone in the area, seeing the waves crashing into shore," said the chief ranger. “At the same time we had those folks washed into the ocean, we had 11 other injuries. A dislocated shoulder, a broken leg, broken ankle and a broken wrist, I believe.”
The incident spurred an air, land, and sea search for the missing. While park rangers searched the shoreline for the 7-year-old and any others who might have been knocked into the ocean, the Coast Guard had a 47-foot cruiser searching the waters, while overhead a helicopter and Falcon jet were also searching, Ranger West said. The Maine Marine Patrol also had a boat participating in the search.
Soon after the visitors were swept into the ocean, Coast Guard rescuers were able to pull a 12-year-old girl and the father of the 7-year-old to safety about 150 yards from shore, he said. There were unconfirmed reports that the man had jumped into the ocean in a bid to save his daughter, said the ranger. The two were taken to a Bangor, Maine, hospital and reportedly were doing OK, said Ranger West.
Sometime later the Coast Guard searchers spotted the young girl.
Immediately after the incident park authorities closed Ocean Drive to the public. Rangers then began the task of trying to determine whether there were any vehicles whose owners were missing.
"We’re trying to do what we can to determine if those two other phantom folks actually fell in the water or not," he said. "We're trying to do a count of the vehicles to see if there’s an unaccounted owner or owners to determine if someone is missing."
While the day had dawned cloudy at Acadia, by afternoon it was mostly sunny with temperatures approaching 80 degrees. The ocean temperature, though, was a brisk 55 degrees, according to the chief ranger.
Support Essential Coverage of Essential Places
Comments
My husband disslocated his shoulder while we were on a cliff watching the waves near Thunder Hole that day. He was the first injury that morning just before noon.
I too was just amazed at how many hundreds of spectators like us, were all over the rocks, and parked along the roads getting out of their cars to watch these amazing swells and waves hitting rocks etc. that Sunday. Children, mothers with babies..... There were NO WARNINGS to stay away, or to stay off the rocks from the Park Rangers.
When my husband came up to the road with his disslocated shoulder, the park ranger who had been summonded by our 16 yr old son , just said to us "so what do you want me to do for you?" It was quite evident that we needed assistance to the hospital. We asked him ,and he kindly took my husband to Bar Harbor hopsital for treatment in his Jeep.
To me, it seemed this park ranger was not at all expecting a situation where people were going to get hurt and killed. We just assumed there was no danger in being there that morning. There had been talk on the news about the high tide, and swells from Hurricane Bill, but who would have thought there would be injuries and a loss of life?
Either the park rangers in that area are not experienced in deaiing with these hurricane conditions, or maybe they lack the knowledge to know when to make a call to close the area to a potential dangerous site.
I only hope this tragic day, the loss of a little girl, and injuries to so many, will encourage the Park rangers to focus on new measures to keep us all safe.
Thk you for your reply to my comment.....
I hope the acadian park serive learns from this unfortunate event that not all tourists understand the risks of the ocean and how storms can create a sudden larger waves than the prevoius ones. The park needs to concentrate on safety and not just tourism.
I also would like to thk the kind couple that assisted me. My friend and i had trouble getting some one to help me at first. i needed to be pulled up away from the rocks where i had landed and everyone around seemed to just stand there, not willing to help. If the nice couple is reading this blog-- i have your tennis jacket you loaned me while i was freezing due to the cold wet water
THX
Now it's 2024. Hurricane season is approaching. I work in Acadia National Park. And, without any question, 99% of the time there are never any rangers at Thunder Hole. The park is desperate for staff. What will it take? Another tragedy?