Emergencies and Congestion Swamped Acadia National Park During Record Setting July 4th Holiday Weekend

Date: July 12, 2019

Get in touch with: Laura Cohen, 207-288-8802

BAR HARBOR, ME – Whilst July 4^th was comparably quiet at Acadia National Park, Friday July 5^th and the adhering to weekend observed park personnel swamped with phone calls for assistance and closing roads owing to traffic congestion. In accordance to Acadia Nationwide Park Social Scientist Adam Gibson, July 5, 2019 was the busiest working day in Acadia Countrywide Park’s heritage with visitation exceeding 35,000 visits for the day, an estimated 15% maximize of the prior history established on July 3, 2017 and a 33% raise above the normal busiest working day for the final 8 years. 

Calls for Help

On July 5^th alone, the park dispatch center fielded 755 radio phone calls and 20 9-1-1 unexpected emergency phone calls. During this unprecedented contact quantity, the park staff responded to four simultaneous rescue phone calls that tapped approximately all rescue assets. 

• At 9:44 AM, a 24-yr-aged male from Connecticut missing his footing mountaineering down the Cadillac West Experience Trail to Bubble Pond, sliding around 40 feet down a sloped rock prior to falling off a 15-20 foot cliff. He fortunately sustained no everyday living-threatening injuries and was in a position to connect with for aid on his phone. Immediately after a affected person evaluation, a complete of 12 rangers and Mount Desert Island Lookup and Rescue users (MDI SAR) assisted in the rescue, which concluded at 3:00 PM.
• At 11:49 AM, the park acquired a 9-1-1 simply call about a 58-yr previous female with an injured ankle on the Cadillac North Ridge Path. She was found one mile from the trailhead. This rescue, which associated two rangers, concluded at 2:00 PM.
• At 12:12 PM, park dispatch fielded a 9-1-1 phone about a 69-12 months-outdated female on the Dorr South Ridge Path dropping consciousness from warmth stroke. With no park rangers still left to respond, City of Bar Harbor Paramedics hiked two miles up the path with a park firefighter and decided a helicopter rescue was essential. Because of to the terrain and absence of a landing zone, only the Maine Forest Provider helicopter with small haul capabilities was accessible to make the rescue. The helicopter arrived on scene approximately 1.5 hours afterwards and the rescue was complete by 5:00 PM. That rescue included 8 rangers, MDI SAR associates, and Friends of Acadia (FOA) Summit Stewards.
• At 1:10PM, the park obtained a report of a 51-12 months-previous male with muscle cramps on Acadia Mountain.   An FOA Summit Steward contacted the affected individual on behalf of the park. The individual was capable to self-administer electrolytes and slowly stroll off the mountain with out supplemental assistance.
• At 3:46 PM, a ranger responded to Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse for a youthful child locked inside of a incredibly hot car or truck. The moms and dads were being current, but the ranger had to break out a window making use of his baton in buy to unlock the motor vehicle and get the boy or girl out promptly. The child was alright. Southwest Harbor/Tremont Ambulance had been dispatched prior to the ranger’s arrival, but although the ranger was on scene, the ambulance was delayed by a different 2 minutes since they could not get by way of the targeted traffic congestion. This hold off did not have an impact on the end result of this unique connect with, but demonstrates the difficulties targeted visitors congestion presents to crisis responders.

Congestion and Street Closures

Through this unprecedented frequency of incidents and emergencies, park employees had been also fielding in close proximity to frequent closures of streets and parking plenty owing to congestion. At a person stage in time, as numerous as 420 cars an hour were being passing through Sand Seaside Entrance Station. As numerous park rangers had been operating on rescue operations, illegal and obstructive parking led to sharp boosts in website traffic congestion, above and past Acadia’s typical struggles with overflowing parking a lot. 

·         Cadillac Summit Street shut a few instances including at sunset, a generally active time on Cadillac Mountain. On July 5^th, the summit broke its possess visitation with a file 600 vehicles competing for 1 of the only 157 parking spots at the summit. An supplemental 364 automobiles were being turned absent by park staff who shut the steep mountain street for basic safety.

·         The Park Loop Street was backed up from Otter Cliffs to the Precipice parking region.

·         Ocean Drive was closed for 2 hrs and then once again shut for 30 minutes and Sieur de Monts was closed 2 times for an hour each time.

·         Hulls Cove Visitor Centre parking ton was closed for 45 minutes to attempt to obvious ample space for Island Explorer buses to enter the parking ton.

·         Jordan Pond North Good deal was closed for an hour.

·         Obstructive and unlawful parking on both sides of the Schooner Head Street blocked the exit route for automobiles stopped at the Sand Seaside Entrance Station.

·         Both sides of Stanley Brook Highway ended up filled with automobiles blocking the Island Explorer bus from applying the highway.

·         Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse entry highway was closed twice in the afternoon and sunset hour. Each and every closure was for 30 minutes.

Appropriate footwear and hydration, amongst other safety guidelines, are critical to a harmless and pleasurable visit to Acadia Countrywide Park in the summertime time. As the park staff members carries on to work toward applying its Transportation Plan to ease long run congestion, people are reminded to park only in specified areas, use the Island Explorer, and consider walking or biking into the park each time doable. Obtain further tips for keeping away from crowds at Acadia Nationwide Park on the park internet site at www.nps.gov/acad/targeted visitors. We would also like to thank our companions at MDISAR, FOA, City of Bar Harbor Hearth Section, and the Maine Forest Service for their support in the course of this chaotic holiday getaway weekend.