Kevin Hills, 22, of Kittery fell about 50 feet into the ocean while
climbing on cliffs near Sand Beach. A spokeswoman for Eastern Maine
Medical Center in Bangor said Hills was in good condition Sunday night
after being transported to the hospital by LifeFlight helicopter.
Christopher Wiebusch, a park ranger involved in the rescue, said Hills
was climbing Saturday morning in an area between Sand Beach and Thunder
Hole -- known as Old Soaker -- when he slipped and "tumbled" about 50
feet into the ocean.
Hills, who was wearing sneakers, was climbing with his brother-in-law,
Wiebusch said.
"He lost his footing and fell. By the time we got there, the tide was
going out and he had gotten out of the water," Wiebusch said.
On July 28, three dozen rescue workers spent several hours trying to
save the life of a University of Maine student who fell while hiking the
Precipice Trail on Champlain Mountain in Acadia National Park. A
LifeFlight helicopter landed on the mountain and airlifted senior
Shirley Ladd, 22, of Barnstead, N.H., to Eastern Maine Medical Center,
where she was pronounced dead.
The Precipice Trail, which is typically closed to protect peregrine
falcon nesting sites, is extremely steep.
Hills, his brother-in-law, and their wives most likely reached the
cliffs by walking on the Ocean Path -- a relatively flat gravel walking
path that starts at Sand Beach and runs along the top of the cliffs next
to the Park Loop Road. The path is known for offering walkers
extraordinary views of the surf.
Wiebusch said multiple manmade foot paths lead from Ocean Path to the
cliffs that lie below. Access is not restricted, but Wiebusch said the
park service discourages climbing because a lot of the shoreline rocks
are what rangers call "dirty" or loose.
The park service received a 911 call for help at 11:37 a.m. Saturday.
Chris McGuire, a veteran lifeguard who is stationed at Sand Beach, heard
the call. He ran to the area, scrambled down rocks and dove into the
ocean, swimming about 150 feet before reaching Hills, Wiebusch said.
McGuire stayed with Hills while rangers mounted a rescue effort that
involved about 20 rangers, members of the Mount Desert Island Search and
Rescue team and the Bar Harbor Fire Department.
Wiebusch said that after Hills fell, someone tossed a first aid kit to
him. Hills was able to bandage his own head.
"He suffered a head injury, but he remained conscious the whole time,"
Wiebusch said.
Weibusch and John Sanders, a paramedic with Bar Harbor's Fire
Department, rappelled down the side of a cliff to reach Hills.
They placed Hills on a litter, which was raised to the top of the cliff
with Wiebusch fastened to it.
Hills was transported by ambulance to a ballfield near the Bar Harbor
YMCA where he was met by a LifeFlight helicopter that transported him to
Bangor.
Wiebusch said Hills was fortunate not to have suffered a more serious
injury.