ARROWSIC, Maine — A total of 11 people were injured when a section of the Doubling Point Lighthouse's walkway collapsed, sending five people to the hospital Saturday.
People fell about 12 feet onto rocks and mud beneath the lighthouse during the annual Maine Open Lighthouse Day, according to officials.
Glen Reed of Scarborough was visiting the lighthouse with his wife and a group of friends when they heard wood start to crack.
"The next thing we knew we all kind of were just lying on the ground down below," Reed, one of the 11 people injured, said.
He said up until that point, there had been no indication anything was wrong.
"It didn't sway. It didn't move. It didn't, it just literally, you heard the cracking, and then we were all down," he said. "The fall seemed to take forever, but I'm sure it was very quick."
Reed and his wife suffered significant bruising, but he said they're fortunate their injuries didn't send them to the hospital. Three of their friends, along with two others, were taken to hospitals.
First responders transported four people to Mid Coast Hospital, while one person was taken to Maine Medical Center, according to Bath Deputy Fire Chief Chris Cummings.
Cummings said when crews arrived, more than 50 cars lined the dirt road and about 100 people were mingling around the area.
"We knew there would be a lot of vehicles down here and very hard access for our ambulances, so we were trying to prepare so we had the right resources to take care of everybody," Cummings said.
The 11 people injured were all adults, Cummings said. One injured person was carried from the debris, but the other 10 walked to a triage area for medical attention.
"We were in a swamp. It was very muddy. It was very slippery. There were some patients who needed to be taken out on stretchers, and it [the EMS response] was just executed flawlessly," Reed said.
Kennebec Marine Services were on scene Monday evaluating the property.
Friends of Doubling Point Light, the nonprofit that manages the lighthouse, is not commenting on the incident. According to its website, Doubling Point Lighthouse welcomes visitors year-round between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.