11 injured when Maine lighthouse walkway cracks during annual event: ‘Collapsing sound, and then some screams’

Eleven people were hurt when a lighthouse walkway collapsed over the weekend, sending people tumbling into mudflats during an annual event that encourages tours of Maine’s beloved beacons.

“Just heard a terribly loud cracking, and then [a] collapsing sound, and then some screams, and everyone knew immediately what had happened,” witness Alex Hill told FOX 23 Maine.

The wooden walkway collapsed at Doubling Point Lighthouse in Arrowsic around 1 p.m. during Maine Open Lighthouse Day on Saturday, when the public can tour the structures.

Five of the 11 injured people were taken to hospitals, Bath Fire Department Deputy Chief Chris Cummings told the Associated Press.

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The collapse of the bridge happened at low tide and caused some of the victims to fall eight to 10 feet, and they landed in a somewhat rocky mudflat below, Cummings said. He said numerous public safety departments responded to the scene.

“It was a team effort,” said Cummings, whose department is in a small city a few miles away.

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The lighthouse is closed until further notice, according to FOX 23. Karen McLean, a member of the Friends of Doubling Point Light, said the group intends to repair the lighthouse, but there is no time frame to do that yet.

“Doubling Point Light was established in 1899 as an aid to navigation on the Kennebec River to warn mariners of two hazardous, double bend turns on the northwest end of Arrowsic Island. Doubling Point Light is still an active navigational aid. It is 23 feet above mean high water and shows a flashing white light every four seconds that can be seen for nine nautical miles,” the Friends of Doubling Point Light website states.