For old fans of Hill Street Blues, you know this was an admonition to be careful out on the tough city streets. Well the same can be said for vacationing here as well. People often come to Acadia National Park unprepared for hiking our mountains and trails and go about climbing them like they would a stroll through a city park. Now we don't have mountains like they do out West but you do need to take precautions when hiking. In addition to proper hiking shoes, maps and water, make sure you pack your common sense. We know people tend to leave this behind on vacation.What tourists don't hear alot about is the number of people injured or killed each year while vacationing here. And I don't mean to make light of this because it can be tragic. When I hear the sound of the Life Flight helicopter landing at the ball fields, I know if it is daytime or early evening it is most likely a fall in the Park or if late at night usually a traffic accident. The helicopter is there to take seriously injured people to the hospital in Bangor. We all look at each other when we hear this and say a prayer and know we will read about it in the Islander's next edition.
Sometimes accidents just happen but most other times it is due to not paying attention to the trails, not being in the proper physical shape or sometimes to just being foolish. I hold my breath when I see kids running around slippery rocks or people hiking in flip flops!
People have been swept away by rogue waves as they stand too close to water's edge on the rocky outcroppings or have been lost due to not having trail maps.
So come enjoy the rugged mountains of the Maine coast and soak up the beauty of the harbors and coves, but please make sure you pack your common sense along with your ounce of prevention to make it a memory you will relish.
Posts
Women in their 50's be careful- 3 had serious spills in the park and had to the Lifeflighted out- 2 with broken backs and skulls. Don't walk backwards taking pictures when you are on mountains. And check with the park for the level of difficulty. It's been a wet year and granite is very slippery!
ReplyDeleteOn Sunday August 23 about 20 people were swept off the rocks at Thunder Hole in Acadia. They were there to watch the waves from the effects of Hurricane Bill. Supposedly the viewing platforms were roped off but people went out to watch the waves anyway, not heeding the park rangers warnings. Tragically, a seven- year old girl from NY was drowned as her family was swept into the 55-degree water. About 11 people were taken to the hospital for broken bones and other injuries.
ReplyDeleteIt is bad enough when adults risk their lives but putting children in harms way is inexcusable.
Take heed of the power of nature and the perils that are mixed along with all the wonders.
I often watch people let their children run around the cliffs and rocks when at any point a misplaced step or a wet rock can bring disaster. Please protect your children and teach them early about safety and caution. Theya re our greatest natural resource