BAR HARBOR, Maine — A child and a young man were flown to Maine hospitals Friday b y LifeFlight after separate water accidents in Acadia National Park, a park official said.
The first accident happened around 2:48 p.m. when a bystander asked for help from a nearby lifeguard for an 18-year-old male that was seen diving in shallow water on Sand Beach. Officials say witnesses which included a trauma nurse jumped in to rescue him. They got him out of the water and used a backboard to stabilize him. He was then transported via ambulance to a life flight helicopter which flew him to Bangor about 45 minutes after the rescue.
The second call for help came in around 3:58 p.m. via 911. A person called seeking help for a six-year-old boy who officials said slipped and fell approximately 50 feet into a water pool while swimming with his family.
According to officials, the boy suffered head and neck injuries. Rangers and Bar Harbor Fire Department paramedics came to help along with other 30 people from Acadia National Park. The child was taken via life flight helicopter to a hospital.
Currently, we do know the extent of both victims’ injuries nor their current conditions.
Acadia National Park’s Public Affairs Specialist Christie Denzel Anastasia said in a release that while park rangers were trying to help the two water accident victims, additional 911 calls were coming in for other incidents. One involved a 13-year-old who was riding a bicycle on the carriage roads. The other involved a car and bicyclist. "This year Acadia National Park has seen a 65 percent increase in rescues above the 2019 calendar year," said Anastasia.