BAR HARBOR, Maine — After a boat sank and a man died in Frenchman Bay in the last month, the town has changed one aspect of where it keeps a boat during the winter months.
A Maryland man died off Bar Island after becoming stranded during high tide, and a boat capsized and sank on its mooring in a separate event.
Acadia National Park is in charge of the investigation about the death of Christian Leveron, 24, of Annapolis, Maryland. He is believed to have been trapped on Bar Island, Jan. 28. He was found in the water the next day.
The park’s boat did not become operational for the rescue mission, which the park led since it occurred on the park’s property. The town’s boat was not in the water or stored in a warm place to turn over. Instead, the Coast Guard sent a boat from its Southwest Harbor base. The Maine Marine Patrol also responded with a boat. Both of those responses took a longer amount of time than if the more local boats had been able to respond.
“I will say that we’ve taken steps on our side additional steps to have a boat in warm storage that’s ready to go and accessible,” Harbormaster Christopher Wharff told the town’s harbor committee members Tuesday.
Visitors can become stranded on the island, which only has tidal access by land bridge, which connects the island to Bar Harbor proper for approximately three hours at low tide. The temperatures that afternoon and night eventually lowered to 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
“The National Park Service routinely evaluates equipment readiness and response protocols following significant operational events. As part of standard practice, after-action reviews are conducted to assess performance and identify any improvements,” Amanda Pollock, deputy chief of interpretation for Acadia National Park said Wednesday. “We do not discuss specific operational or investigative details while an incident remains under review.”
Leveron’s death is still under review.
Wharff said Wednesday that Bar Harbor has a small skiff as well as the harbormaster boat. The skiff will be more accessible now.
“We have been storing (it) in a warm place, but have moved (it) to a more accessible location,” he said.
The path to the island, right before the sand bar, has a sign alerting visitors to the tidal aspect of its location and the possibilities of being stranded.
Wharff told the committee, “It was an unfortunate situation the way that it all unfolded.”
The other event was a boat that sank in the harbor near the town pier.
“We had a boat turn over on the mooring. A gentleman from Winter Harbor who was mussel dragging,” Wharff said. “No fuel spill. No nothing. The boat is up and out of here. The hiker on Bar Harbor. I’m sure you all read about that. That was a sad one. It’s Acadia National Park’s.”
During the town’s sustainable tourism task force meeting on Wednesday task force member Jim Glavine referenced Leveron’s death.
“We suffered a tragic loss of life in Bar Harbor,” he said.
Glavine hoped safety in general, including safety of visitors, might have been focused on more in the town’s discussions, stressing that the safety of visitors is extremely important to the town.
