9 YEAR OLD DROWNS AT EAGLE LAKE CHRISTMAS DAY - ACADIA, 1909

Bar Harbor Record
December 29, 1909

ARDEN PEACH DROWNED AT EAGLE LAKE

Fell Through Ice While Skating On Christmas Day - Others Had Narrow Escape

Arden L. Peach, the nine year old son of Mrs. Arden L. Peach of Northeast Harbor was drown while skating at Eagle Lake on the afternoon of Christmas Day, and three other boys and one young married man went through the ice in the middle of the lake and narrowly escaped losing their lives.  The little Peach boy was visiting his aunt, Mrs. Lewis Suminsby of Forest Street and early Christmas afternoon he and his cousin, Clarence Suminsby, age 12, took their skates and started out for the lake for an afternoon pleasure..  The two boys skated around on the northern end of the lake for a while and then, according to the story of the Suminsby boy, he started for the other end of the pond, going along the Western shore, while Arden Peach skated up the Eastern side.  When the Suminsby boy got about three fourths of the distance up the lake he turned and skated across to meet his cousin.
Before he got to him he saw some boys go through the ice quite a distance away and started towards them, but before he reached them he heard his cousin cry for help and when he turned in the direction in which he had seen the boy a few minutes before he had disappeared.  Knowing that he must of broken through the ice the Suminsby boy skated with all his might towards the point where he had last seen Arden and soon saw him in the water.  Clarence skated as near to him as he dared and then got down on his stomach and crawled towards the hole in the ice.  The little lad in the water was making a brave struggle for his life but was unable to get on the firm ice.  With his Polo stick advanced in front of him Clarence was crawling to the aid of his cousin when the ice gave way and he was plunged into the lake.  After a hard struggle he managed to get back onto the ice but was unable to do anything in aid of Arden and was compelled to see him drown while he was helpless to render any assistance.
At about the same time two other boys and a young man were making a fight for their lives in the icy waters of the lake only a quarter of a mile away.
After their Christmas dinner, Joseph Walls, a young married man who is in the employment of Nickerson Spratt & Greeley and two boys, Carl Johnson, age 12, and Norman Johnson, age 14, sons of Everett Johnson of Bar Harbor started for the lake with their skates.  They skated in the Southern end and started back down near the middle of the lake.  They had gone about half a mile on the return and were skating nearly abreast with Norman Johnson a little ahead and Carl slightly in the rear of Mr. Walls.  Suddenly the ice cracked and Norman went through and out of sight.  An instant later Mr. Walls plunged into the water and Carl followed immediately.  Carl was the first to get a firm hold on the ice and get out in two or three minutes.
Mr. Walls told him to go to the assistance of his brother which he did and after hard work Norman was safe on solid ice.  With some assistance from the two boys Mr. Walls then got out of the water.  Norman was nearly exhausted by his struggle and it was several minutes before he could stand.  They were just getting ready to start for the Northern end of the lake and home when they saw a boy, who proved to be Clarence Suminsby skating rapidly towards them and a moment later Mr. Walls says he heard a cry and saw a boy almost a quarter of a mile away, struggling in the water.  The Suminsby boy was much nearer the boy than they were and Mr. Walls yelled to Clarence to go to the boy and try to help him.  Mr. Walls and his two companions started along slowly and soon saw Clarence go through the ice and after two or three minutes they saw that he got out safely.  Clarence got out safely and they were all starting for home when Dr. E.J. Morrison came out across the ice towards them. 
Dr. Morrison and his brother Mark than drove up the road to W.M. Roberts camp heard the outcry on the lake and Dr. Morrison went out to see if he could be of any assistance.  He offered to send them all home in his team, but they preferred to walk as they were afraid of freezing.  Dr. Morrison over took them on the road and took Norman Johnson home as he was nearly exhausted.
The accident happened about 3;30 and Clarence returned home about 4;30 and his mother immediately telephoned to Chief of Police Jellison who notified John E. Bunker, chairman of the board of selectmen.  Mr. Bunker and Mr. Jillison at once got together a number of men and at 5 o'clock started for the lake to search for the body of the little Peach boy.
At Roberts camp the men got another boat and two crews with lanterns started out at some distance apart to hunt for the spot where the boy broke through.  After some time one of the crews found the place and with axes and picks the men broke up the ice for quite a distance around the hole where the boys fell in.  Then they launched the two boats and began to sweep the bottom for the body.  About half an hour after they launched the boats the body was brought to the surface.  The skates, new ones, which he was trying for the first time Christmas Day, were on his feet and his mittens were still on his hands.  It was 8;16 when the body was found and it was taken to the undertaking rooms of F.E. Sherman on Main Street and removed Sunday morning to the home of Lewis Suminsby on Forest Street.
The body was found in 60 feet of water, and the ice at that point was only about one fourth of an inch thick and the ice where Mr. Walls and the other two boys went through was of about the same thickness.
This is said to be the first drowning accident that has occurred at the lake.

GERALD D.F. POISSON DROWNS NEAR THUNDER HOLE - ACADIA, 1963

Deaths In Acadia National Park;

Sept. 19, 1963

Some one had removed the life preserver from its box at Thunder Hole, something that had happened at other times as well, so no one could toss it to Gerard D.F. Poisson, who drown in the surf a few feet off shore.  Mr. Poisson was from Luce, Ontario.  He stayed afloat for about ten minutes before sinking below the water, and a rope to help save him arrived too late.  Some time later his body was recovered by David Graves, a lobster fisherman from Northeast Harbor. 
Mr. Poisson and his wife and friends had been camping at Blackwoods campground.   They all had decided to head back home that day, but Mr Poisson decided to make one more trip to the Thunder Hole area before they left.  His wife and friends waited above as Mr Poisson went lower toward the water, at one point removing his shoes so he could stand on the wet rocks and take a better photo of the water.  As he was bent over, a large wave rose up and swept him from the rocks.
At one point his wife was almost able to reach out to him as he attempted to get back on shore.  His wife pleaded with bystanders for help and one left to get a rope, which arrived too late.  Mr Poisson had a heart attack about a year earlier and a doctor could not determine if he had died from drowning or from a second heart attack.

BERT H. YOUNG DROWNS ON LONG POND - ACADIA, 1931

Deaths In Acadia National Park

May 27, 1931
Bert H. Young, who was a Bar Harbor Post Master, lost his life in a tragic boating accident on Long Pond.  Mr. Young was in a boat along with Harold Barnes, fishing when the boat capsized.  A doctor stated that Mr. Young's death may of been the result of a heart attack.  Acadia National Park Rangers responded to the tragic accident.
After the men were in the water, Barnes told Young that they would have to swim for it, but Young replied that he could not make it, at which point Barnes told him to stay with the over turned boat while he went for help.  After Barnes swam a short ways from the boat, he became exhausted from swimming in his wet clothing, and turned to look back at the boat.  He saw Mr. Young, now a few feet from the boat with his head out of the water, not struggling or making any type of sound.
Mr Barnes turned and swam some fifty yards to shore, and several times nearly gave up because he was so exhausted. 
Once at shore Barnes took off in search of a nearby camp with a phone, but was not familiar with the area and ended up covering eight miles, at one point crossing a swamp, before finally coming out onto the Seal cove Road.  He stopped a passing car and told them to get help.  Sadly, had he known the area he would not have gone very far for help.  The body of Mr. Young was recovered from the pond a short time later.

UMO STUDENT FRITZ MILLETT KILLED IN PLUNGE FROM BEEHIVE - ACADIA, OCT. 21, 1977

Deaths In Acadia National Park;

Date on newspaper;
Oct. 21, 1977

UMO  STUDENT  FRITZ MILLETT KILLED  IN  PLUNGE  FROM  BEEHIVE  -  ACADIA, OCT.  21,  1977

YOUNG WOMANS TRIP TO ACADIA NATIONAL PARK ENDS IN MURDER MYSTERY - 1977

Deaths In Acadia National Park;

 June 1977

27 year old yoga instructor Leslie Spellman had hitchhiked with her sister from their home in Massachusetts to Vermont.  From Vermont the two parted ways as Leslie continued to make her way to Acadia national Park for a backpacking trip, along with her dog.  The following day at around 9;45 a.m., a group of tourists discovered her body laid out in the tranquil Asticou Azalea Gardens in Northeast Harbor, a location better known for its peacefulness and beauty.  It was determined she had been dead for several hours, killed from a number of blows to the head from a blunt instrument.
It was reported that there was no evidence of sexual assault.  Authorities suspected that her murder may of been the work of a serial killer who had killed a number of victims  in a similar manner in Connecticut in the late 1970's.  The murder of the young woman remains unsolved to this day.

DAVID MCKINNEY - EXPLORING CAVE AT GREAT HEAD IN ACADIA SWEPT TO SEA - 1969

 Deaths In Acadia National Park;

1969

I just came across this death which is listed on Acadia Memorials blog.  A young man, David McKinney, along with five friends were in the area of Great Head exploring a cave there.  The cave is located along the coast between the areas of Sand Beach and Anemone Cave, which is another cave that claimed the life of a young man there as well.
McKinney was 19 years old, and had stopped to explore the cave, which is located near the water's edge.The young man was about 20 feet from his friends when a large wave crashed over the rocks, pulling McKinney out to sea.  The blog states the young man's body was never recovered.
A memorial plaque was placed around the spot where the young man's body was washed away.
Great Head is a popular area in Acadia National Park with hiking trails.

Go to the link below to learn more on this death in Acadia National Park as well as to learn more about the memorials of the park.

MEMORIALS OF ACADIA WEBSITE

COREY O'BRIAN DIES FROM SKATEBOARD FALL IN ACADIA NATIONAL PARK - 2008

Deaths In Acadia National Park;

 reported Oct. 7, 2008

A local skateboarder died from his injures here after taking a bad fall in Acadia national Park.  Corey O'Brian, age 23, of the village of Seal Harbor, somehow had lost control of his skateboard when he fell.    He could often be seen in and around Bar harbor on his skateboard.
A friend of Mr. O'Brain called 911 at about 7 p.m. on Sept. 30 to report the accident, and that Mr. O'brian had a gash on the back of his head, was unconscious and had been for several minutes.  Reports stated he was traveling at about 20 MPH when he fell backwards off his board, striking his head.  He did not appear to have been wearing a helmet at the time of the accident.