Man Rescued by Airlift from Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park
ACADIA NATIONAL PARK—Reports of a man having a medical event well up the Beehive Trail by Sand Beach in Acadia National Park on Wednesday morning led to an activation of the park’s search and rescue team, Bar Harbor Fire Department and a Maine Forest Service helicopter.
The helicopter staged at the Sand Beach House leach field prior to the rescue.
According to park officials, “At approximately 8:00 am on September 18, 2024, park rangers responded to a report of a 58-year-old male experiencing a serious medical event on the Beehive Trail in Acadia National Park. Park rangers coordinated with MDI Search and Rescue to assemble a rescue team of 16 people who staged at the trailhead along the Park Loop Road.”
Emergency professionals assessed the man’s condition at his position halfway up the vertical portion of the trail.
“The rescue team requested assistance from the Maine Forest Service based in Old Town, Maine, to evacuate the patient by helicopter,” ANP Public Affairs Office Amanda Pollock wrote in a press release sent out by ANP Management Assistant John Kelly.
The Maine Forest Service sent a helicopter, which then performed a “short-haul operation,” transferring the man to a field close to Sand Beach.
An ambulance and personnel from the Bar Harbor Fire Department met the helicopter at that prepared landing zone and then transported the man to Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor.
The rescue involved closing the popular Beehive Trail for approximately an hour. All cleared the scene at approximately 11:00 am.
“The National Park Service thanks Bar Harbor Fire Department and MDI Search and Rescue for their help and cooperation in this successful rescue. MDI Search and Rescue is a volunteer, nonprofit organization that provides search and rescue assistance on Mount Desert Island in cooperation with local authorities,” Pollock said.
All photos and video: Shaun Farrar/ Bar Harbor Story
Correction: The original press release from the park said that the helicopter was based in Orono. It is based in Old Town. This story has been updated at 5:35 p.m. to reflect this.
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People need to beware of just how important the MDI Search an d Rescue and the great work they do. These are unpaid volunteers who give up their personal time to do the training they need and be available, on call on a minutes notice. Just like the Volunteers on the Fire Dept, the reserves/part time police officers, American Red Cross they are there for us in a time of need. THANK YOU to all the unsung hero's who Volunteer to make this a better community.