EDGARTOWN, Mass. -- The U.S. Coast Guard says three people have been rescued after being swept out to sea by a rogue wave from Hurricane Bill at a park in Maine. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Shane Coxon says a man, a woman and a 7-year-old girl were pulled from the water Sunday at Thunder Hole in Acadia National Park. Coxon says other people are believed to be still lost in the waves but did not know how many. The National Park Service had said earlier Sunday that at least three people were missing. Coast Guard helicopters and rescue boats have been conducting searches. Coxon says the girl was unresponsive when she was rescued, the woman appeared to have a broken leg and the man had a previous heart condition that appeared to be acting up. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below. EDGARTOWN, Mass. (AP) _ A rogue wave from Hurricane Bill swept spectators out to sea at a Maine park Sunday as the storm-churned surf attracted onlookers and daredevils along the Eastern Seaboard. Five people were swept into the ocean after an early afternoon crowd had gathered on some rocks at Acadia National Park when the wave washed over them. Two were recovered, and the Coast Guard and search crews are looking for the three others. "This is absolutely the effects of Hurricane Bill" coupled with the effect of high tide, park ranger Sonya Berger said. Bill was also blamed for the death of a 54-year-old swimmer who was killed Saturday in Florida. Volusia County Beach Patrol Capt. Scott Petersohn said Angel Rosa of Orlando was unconscious when he washed ashore in rough waves fueled by Bill at New Smyrna Beach along the central Florida coast. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Lifeguards there also rescued a handful of other swimmers believed to have suffered spinal injuries. The center of the hurricane was about 400 miles west-southwest of Newfoundland late Sunday afternoon, according to the National Hurricane Center. Its maximum sustained winds had dropped to 75 mph, and it was moving northeast at 35 mph. The storm is expected to continue to weaken as it moves over cooler waters. In Canada, the hurricane was expected to bring up to 7 inches of rain to Nova Scotia and was expected to approach southeast Newfoundland by Sunday night. Power outages were reported across Nova Scotia's southern shore, affecting more than 32,000 customers, according to Nova Scotia Power, and some roadways near the province's coastline were closed. Craig MacLaughlan, CEO of Nova Scotia's Emergency Management Office, said no major damage has been reported in the province. "We can be blessed that it has moved off a bit and that we're not getting some of the damage that we thought (we would)," he said. The storm drew onlookers hoping to catch a glimpse of crashing waves as it marched through Atlantic Canada. Despite repeated warnings, people gathered in Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia, and along the boardwalk in downtown Halifax as swells grew steadily in strength and size. "So far, it's pretty wild," said Heather Wright, who was walking along the Halifax harbor. "We're not going right to the edges or nothing. And we're here mainly to sightsee a bit and go back home and ride it out." The National Hurricane Center had lifted the tropical storm warning for the Massachusetts coastline, including Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket early Sunday morning, and President Barack Obama and his family arrived on Cape Cod on Sunday afternoon for vacation after the storm had passed well to the east. Several people also had to be rescued from the water in Massachusetts, including a couple of kayakers who got stranded in the heavy seas off Plymouth, said Peter Judge, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency. He said strong rip tides and beach erosion were the biggest concerns Sunday. "Our biggest thing right now is just the rough surf," he said. Dozens of people showed up at South Beach on Martha's Vineyard with their cameras and camcorders to watch the big waves and churning Atlantic. Tony Dorsey of Gofftown, N.H., has a camp on the Vineyard. He said the waves came up to the top of the dunes at South Beach during high tide, and included "good-size rollers. "It overwhelmed the beach," he said. "It reformed the beach. It's not destroyed a lot, but it's going to reshape the beach." The storm delayed or halted ferry services from New York to Maine, and kept many beaches closed. In Montauk, N.Y., swimmers weren't allowed in the water, but surfers were out riding the waves. State parks spokesman George Gorman said almost 2,000 surfers showed up at Montauk on Sunday _ the most ever counted there. They enjoyed waves that reached as high as 16 feet. Some areas that had prepared for the worst saw nothing. Libby Russ, who owns the Three Belles Marina in Niantic, Conn., said a few swimming floats were hauled in from Long Island Sound on Saturday, but that was the extent of the excitement. "We didn't have a stitch of breeze," said Libby. ___ Associated Press Writers Jennifer Kay in Miami; Pat Eaton-Robb in Hartford; Bruce Shipkowski in Trenton, N.J.; and Rob Gillies in Toronto contributed to this report.
© 2009 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
|