Rescued hikers drown inside vehicle leaving state park

Yahoo! News ^ | July 25, 2013 | Dylan Stableford

[2ndDivisionVet]

A pair of hikers who had been rescued after getting lost in the fog and rain inside a Maine state park drowned on Tuesday night when their car plunged into the water off a boat launch as they were trying to leave.

Amy Stiner, 37, and Melissa Moyer, 38, were found dead inside a minivan in 20 feet of water about 175 feet from the boat ramp on the edge of Roque Bluffs State Park, the Washington County Sheriff's Department said. A dog, a pit bull mix who was with them, also drowned.

Officials say the women, who had just been returned to their vehicle by a game warden, took a wrong turn as they were driving away from the parking area.

"The end of the road becomes the boat landing and they just weren't familiar with it," Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith told the Kennebec Journal. "It was foggy and rainy and they literally drove off the boat landing right into the water."(continued)

[Caipirabob]

We actually gave out water to people going back up who had none that day. One couple was a mother and child who the father had said "I'll meet you down there" and took off. She gave up and had turned around to march back up 4 miles. They were having a rough time already at the one mile mark when we gave them the water. We didn't see or pass them again on the trail.

I would have hated to be the father when he climbed back out of the valley!