You are here

Home » Number Of Ranger Rescues Soaring At Acadia National Park

Number Of Ranger Rescues Soaring At Acadia National Park

Share
By Kurt Repanshek - August 14th, 2021

There has been a 65 percent increase in rescues at Acadia National Park this year compared to 2019/NPS file

Two water-related accidents at Acadia National Park in Maine required Life Flight missions to get the individuals to a hospital. 

The first accident occurred at Sand Beach at approximately 2:48 p.m. Friday. A visitor flagged down a lifeguard to assist an 18-year-old man in the ocean. Rangers responded with the assistance of bystanders and a trauma nurse to stabilize the patient on a backboard, a park release said.

The patient was carried from Sand Beach to the parking lot, where a Bar Harbor ambulance was waiting. The patient was then transferred via Life Flight to Bangor at approximately 3:30 p.m. Witnesses stated that the 18-year-old was seen diving into a shallow area, the release said. 

The second accident occurred on the Cannon Brook Trail. At approximately 3:58 p.m. Friday a caller to 911 reported a 6-year-old boy had fallen approximately 50 feet into a water pool along the trail and suffered head and neck injuries. Rangers and Bar Harbor Fire Department paramedics responded to the accident. Maine Forest Service conducted a short haul to transfer the patient to a Life Flight in Bar Harbor at approximately 7 p.m.

According to park staff, the boy's family had been swimming in the water pool and the child slid down a slope and continued into the water. 

Friday also brought additional 911 calls overlapping with the two water-related accidents, including vehicle and bicyclist conflicts and a bicycle accident involving a 13-year-old on the carriage roads.

On Thursday, there was a rescue involving a 32-year-old woman who suffered a medical emergency on Gorham Mountain at approximately 1:30 p.m., and another involving a 58-year-old man with a knee injury on the South Ridge of Sargent Mountain.

The Maine Forest Service attempted a short haul for the Sargent Mountain rescue, but was unable to conduct the operation due to fog. This required park staff and Mount Desert Island Search and Rescue volunteers to divert resources from Gorham to Sargent to step in for a carry-out.

The accidents were just the latest in a busy year for rangers, as this year Acadia has seen a 65 percent increase in rescues above the 2019 calendar year. 

Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.