The recent death of Faith Wise, a 56-year-old woman, at the Schoodic Point section of Acadia National Park was sadly witnessed by me. In addition to the accurate accounts in your newspaper and television, this tragedy deserved further elaboration.

Friday, June 1, was a cool and cloudy day. The mountains of Acadia were barely visible through the mist from the rocky shore in front of the Schoodic Point parking area. Ryan Davis, D.D.S., his young family and I were exploring the rock-bound surface that extends down to the ocean. No one else was anywhere in sight except a man and woman coming from their car in the parking lot.

Suddenly we were transfixed by piercing screams that came from an area about 100 yards to our left, not visible but down near the water. I thought briefly about the constant screaming that young girls use for cheering at sports events, but this was different and chilling. Dr. Davis said nothing, but took off running over the rocks toward the sound as if he had been shot out of a cannon. I followed, but considering the half-century disparity in our ages, at a greatly slower rate. In the ocean, several yards out from the edge of the rocks, was the woman in a lime green jacket, not moving, except with the lapping of the waves and with face down, beneath the surface. One of her two daughters was on the rocks screaming for help, and the other had given up trying to rescue her mother and was struggling to get back out of the frigid ocean herself.

Disregarding his own safety, Davis went over the slippery rocks into the water and was strong enough to bring the young woman out onto the rocks. Rescue personnel and national park staff members arrived soon with ropes and an immersion suit, but it was obvious to all that the mother was beyond help. The Coast Guard vessel arrived under full throttle after a considerable time-consuming trip to the site. They grappled the woman’s body and took her aboard the vessel, but it was obvious to me that Faith Wise was not resuscitable. The Coast Guard personnel valiantly tried CPR anyway.

The media reports described Dr. Davis as “a bystander” who had to pull Stephanie Wise out. He should be more appropriately described as a “hero.” As an eyewitness, I can truthfully state that he did no “standing by” but as described above we could have had two deaths and perhaps three.

Thomas Palmer, M.D., is a retired surgeon who resides in Bangor.