"The park would have staff on call this weekend, he added."

Last weekend they were out to lunch.

Don't forget to bring your telephoto lens. We don't want Superintendent Steele to have to make any calls.

Although I live on the sea-side of the Pacific Coast Highway out here in Malibu, and our house is a respectable 920 feet at high tide from the Pacific, we really enjoy the sea and all it's moods, 'moon-swings' and attitude. But whenever storms approach us, the lanai's are shut, locked and secured, and any outside furniture is put into the storage center under the house until storms pass.

But what I can never understand is this; we all have witnessed, either live or on television, stories that go as far back as the time when movies and pictures were first made, of historical articles when severe storms get near sea-side, people seem to be drawn for some reason to the shores to see the big waves come breaking-in. Sometimes, people get swept off rocks, or the sandy areas and pulled into the sea. With just a small amount of ocean water you can feel the power of it under you when you stand in the water and feel it coming in or the 'tow' when it goes out. Why on earth are so many folks drawn to see this? They put themselves in so much danger, it is impossible to fathom their actions as nothing but a total lapse of intellect and personal responsibility to themselves and to others.

See the photos above where people are gathered around on the rocks watching the sea waves. What happened then?

well here we go again, we,ll have to wait and see if people have learned anything from last weeks tradgedy,i,m betting not!! and i,m betting the park is now alot wiser about stupid people too, disobey the signs the ropes and the rules, you could be next.

Does the Park not have the responsibility to close the Park Loop Road and block access to the granite coastline? The rangers are clearly outnumbered, people being who and what they are will continue to approach the surf and dare to get close. Had the road been closed for Bill, the tourists who showed no caution would have had to shop in Bar Harbor instead of trying to brave the wave....... Sometimes, those in charge do have the duty to protect us from ourselves.

RhodyGuy~ had they chosen to close the park loop road, people would have just gained entrance to the park and water someplace else, probably where there were NO rangers to warn them making the problem even worse. I believe they did the right thing keeping the road open making it easier for the rangers, with their limited numbers, to police the situation. They probably SAVED more lives by doing this.

rhodyguy, what you suggest is impossible. "Block access to the granite coastline," LOL! It's not like a ride at Disneyworld that can be closed and opened at will. The Maine coast is a few thousand miles long, and isn't limited to the few miles of Park Loop Road that many tourists are familiar with. If they closed that road, a few tourists, as you say might opt to spend their time shopping, but most of those who wanted to see the waves would just go see them at another site, either inside or outside the park. Besides, it's not really anybody's job to protect you from yourself. I'm not sure who started that ridiculous rumor, and I do realize that lots of people these days seem to believe it, but you're a big boy now and are primarily RESPONSIBLE for looking out for yourself, just like everyone else.

Last week there were very frequent warnings about the surf and accompanying undertow on the radio and on TV and in this newspaper, nobody could avoid them even if they tried. Then, on Sunday, the park rangers were very actively patrolling the shore, (re)warning everyone they came in contact with not to get too close. It's unfortunate that some chose not to heed all the warnings they had heard, but the answer isn't to restrict the rest of us from the enjoyment we get from witnessing the tremendous power of the sea from a respectful distance.

I see the problem as a cultural one in our society, where too many people have become convinced that "rules" are merely "suggestions" as far as they are concerned and really only apply to everyone else but themselves. Next time you're on an airplane, watch what happens when the Captain turns on the seatbelt sign, warning the passengers (for their own safety and those they might fall on or get knocked into) that there is rough air ahead. These passengers who jump up have no way of knowing whether that rough air is light turbulence or severe turbulence that could bounce anything that's not strapped down off the ceiling and break their necks in the process, but they act is if that sign coming on is their own private reminder to get up and use the bathroom, or to get something out of the overhead storage areas. I see it almost every time I fly in this country, but if you have a plane full of Japanese for example, when the seatbelt sign comes on, they seem to understand that simply means just what it says, "fasten your seatbelt." In your mind, to protect his passengers from themselves, after he turns on the seatbelt sign to warn them of what might be coming, does the Captain have an obligation to come back, lock the bathrooms and overhead bins so they're unavailable for use, and verify that each and every passenger have their seatbelt properly fastened (for all those who didn't already know how to accomplish that, the flight attendants attempted to teach them at the beginning of the flight), and after about 15 minutes or so should he have to remind them that the sign is STILL on? Should he come back and scold those who choose to ignore the sign, (in English AND a picture of a fastened seatbelt for all those who can't read, located at every row of seats)?

Whether we're inflight, or at the seaside, just how far should those in authority have to go to re-remind us to not ignore their warnings so we don't hurt ourselves, or others, in the process? At what point does it become our own "fault" when our failure to heed repeated warnings, reminders, and failure to apply common sense, results in us injuring ourselves?

People not from around the ocean should respect when people tell them it's not safe we are from here and know the dangers this should be a time to enjoy a vacation not witness a bad event

RhodyGuy------If , in this Great Nation,we need people in "charge", to protect us from ourselves, it dosen't say much for the mentality of the people, does it!

I think it is entirely unfair to close the Park Loop road to the public. People have to pay attention to warnings. Why shouldn't I be able to go watch the fantastic waves? Keep it open and stop pointing fingers at the rangars.

Jeffrey, that was the most intelligent rebuttal that I've seen in weeks! Far too many people feel that they have no responsibility for any of their actions. Someone else is always responsible.

The events in the park were tragic, I don't think anyone would deny that, but to say that the rangers didn't do their jobs or that the park loop should have been closed is simply ridiculous. We all need to grow up and realize that we are responsible for ourselves. It's heartening to know that there are still some people in our society that get that fact!

Your analogy of the flight was almost funny, except for the fact that I fear that this is exactly where we're headed!

Close the whole park when it drizzles because people are stupid in mass. Let the tourists find their own way to the coastline to watch the storm and get swept to sea. At least you will not have people blaming the rangers for it.

" I believe they did the right thing keeping the road open making it easier for the rangers, with their limited numbers, to police the situation."

There was no "policing". Ten Thousand (10,000!!!) people on the park loop road ALONE and 10 rangers on duty in the whole park during a hurricane is a total failure of the public safety system.

"They probably SAVED more lives by doing this."

You're hired! How do you like being the new minister of propaganda for Acadia National Park?

why doesnt the park just close the beach and thunder head? have rangers at each place and tell people, "NO, you may not go there" and then fine those who do not listen. i know people think that it wont happen to me, but if the park puts forth the effort then no one can say we didnt know and that they were not warned and protected.

The Park may have been critically short on public safety people that day but they had plenty of toll collectors.

How about closing the Park? Some people have no common sense, so just close the road.

Maine has the most coastline of any US state (look it up) ...they will find shoreline

People have been getting washed of rocks for decades. This reminds me of those shark attacks in Florida a few years ago, one news story later and suddenly, its an epidemic. Where I grew up on the coast we would loose 1 or 2 tourists a year, no biggy. It’s already been mentioned, they will find the coastline. Look at these idiots on the island where I come from. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLTQaHwqKlA

Go onto youtube, watch the video of people on the shore, and you will see who's fault it really was, You can watch people DELIBERATELY getting close, turning their backs on the waves and just standing there to get soaked while the people around them applaud. It's horrible that a child died, it's horrible that people were injured, but it is NOT the park services fault that people chose to be Idiots and not respect the power of the ocean.

People love to watch danger appear, close by. People pay to go to auto races, and every once in ten thousand races, some car goes flying off in to the stands to kill someone. Same thing at air shows, where an occasional plane crashes in to the audience. Same thing at camping areas, where one of every ten thousand bear encounters ends in a tragedy. One out of every ten thousand marriages ends in severe violence. I'm thinking of the famous comedian, Phil Hartman, who was shot to death by his wife. Rogue events happen all the time, no way to predict them, so JUST ENJOY THE WAVE BEFORE IT HITS YOU!