Maine Ranger urges respect for ocean after fatal wave

(NECN: Southwest Harbor, Maine) – The Coast Guard faced seas of 16 to 17 feet during their rescue of three people off Acadia National Park in Maine. A 7-year-old girl died. Her father and a 12-year-old girl were rescued from the water. They were among 20 people watching the surf near Thunder Hole Sunday when a rogue wave struck. Chief ranger Stuart West at Acadia National Park says officials did all that could to caution the thousands of people who came out to watch the waves. West believes they used the correct protocol. “In the big picture, we did very well,” said West. “This one wave was a big wave, and took folks off guard. In general, we were keeping people back pretty well though.” West advises anyone coming to the park in the future to give Mother Nature the respect it deserves. He says the public comes to Acadia to view the pounding surf, but says they need to be safe when they do visit.