11 injured after walkway to Doubling Level Lighthouse collapses
ARROWSIC, Maine — Eleven folks had been damage when an extended wood walkway collapsed at Doubling Level Lighthouse in Arrowsic on Saturday throughout an annual occasion that encourages excursions.
Bathtub Fireplace Division Deputy Chief Chris Cummings responded to the scene Saturday to assist deal with these injured. Cummings advised the Bangor Every day Information that individuals on the walkway fell from a top of between six and 10 ft.
“lt was decrease tide so all of them type of fell within the marshy mud space. Some fell from greater into the marsh space than others,” Cummings stated. “We don’t know, however folks may have fallen on one another.”
Among the folks had been nonetheless within the mud when first responders arrived and had been assisted to shore, Cummings stated. The accidents had been non-life-threatening, he stated.
5 of the 11 injured folks had been taken to hospitals.
The lighthouse was extra crowded than standard due to Maine Open Lighthouse Day, which is a day when the state’s scenic lighthouses are open to the general public.
“That was a really busy day down there for them,” Cummings stated. “There was lots of people there.”
The lighthouse has stood because the late nineteenth century and is positioned on the Kennebec River.
The lighthouse is closed to the general public on Sunday, stated Karen McLean, a member of the Mates of Doubling Level Mild. McLean stated the group intends to restore the lighthouse, however there is no such thing as a timeframe to do this but.
A discover on the Mates of Doubling Level Mild web site states the lighthouse will stay closed “till additional discover.”
The lighthouse is energetic as a Coast Guard assist to navigation. The location has an extended wood walkway that leads over a marshy space to the lighthouse, which itself is shorter than many within the state with a tower top of 23 ft.
Cummings stated a number of officers from Bathtub and firefighters from neighboring departments responded to the collapse.
Alex Hill, who witnessed the collapse, advised CBS 17, he “heard a really loud cracking, after which collapsing sound, after which some screams, and everybody knew instantly what had occurred.”
CORRECTION: The story has been up to date to make clear Cummings’s job title.
