A man escaped drowning June 17 after attempting to retrieve a backpack in the dangerous waters off Pemaquid Point.
The man, whose identity is unknown, was one of a group of artists working in the area, Bristol Fire Chief Paul Leeman said. A wave swept a backpack out to sea Friday afternoon and the man, after changing into a bathing suit, went in after it.
The man was in the water for about 15 minutes, during which time Lincoln County Communications paged emergency services with word of a “possible drowning.”
Bristol Fire and Rescue responded to the scene and was preparing to launch a water rescue when the man “was able to climb out” under his own power, Leeman said.
“He struggled hard,” Leeman said. “He was very lucky to get out on his own.”
Central Lincoln County Ambulance Service transported the man to Miles Memorial Hospital as a precautionary measure. The man, despite picking up a few scrapes from the Pemaquid Point rocks, appeared uninjured, Leeman said.
The powerful undertow off the Pemaquid Point rocks (the man, in this case, entered the water just north of Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and The Sea Gull Shop) is locally notorious.
Leeman reiterated a frequent warning to visitors to the scenic park and the surrounding area. “Stay away from the water,” he said.
“Usually we have people swept in by waves,” Leeman said. “This was a different one for us. It could have turned into a very bad story.”
