Fisherman Saves Life of Woman Who Fell Off Pier After Railing Broke

This video shows Frenchman Bay in Bar Harbor, Maine, during a calmer, more serene time of year. The Mount Desert Islander reported that the waters were much chillier on the afternoon of October 25, 2012, when an unidentified woman fell from a town pier into the Bay. Bar Harbor Police Chief Nate Young told the Islander that the “quick actions” of local fisherman Max Blandford are “likely responsible for the woman being alive today.”

The Islander reported that the woman was sitting on a low concrete wall on the west side of the pier when the accident occurred. Harbormaster Charlie Phippen told the Islander that the woman was leaning back against a railing taking pictures when the railing broke. Chief Young told the Islander that the woman likely hit the side of the pier and a large chain beneath the water used to anchor the floats. According to the Islander, the water was at low tide and the woman fell at least 15 feet.

The Islander reported that the broken railing had come apart earlier this year and been roped off, but Chief Young said highway department workers had welded it back into place and removed the ropes. A capital improvement program budget that included funding for replacing the rail was approved at a town meeting this past June, and the Islander reported that the project is set to start by June 2013.

“Town officials are reviewing the circumstances surrounding this tragic accident and extend our best wishes … for a fast and full recovery,” Bar Harbor Town Manager Dana Reed told the Islander.

While the Islander did not indicate the extent of the woman’s injuries, the town could be liable for negligence and equipment failure that caused her to fall. Latti & Anderson represents individuals who have been injured at sea and on land, and our record of verdicts and settlements secured for clients includes a $5.9 million settlement for a man who sustained a traumatic brain injury after falling over the side of a vessel.

You can find more information about the types of personal injuries, accidents and deaths that Latti & Anderson LLP helps clients with on our website. If you or a loved one has sustained serious injuries as a result of a similar act of negligence, contact our firm at (800) 392-6072 to schedule an appointment or fill out the form on this page to have our Boston maritime attorneys review your case.

Latti & Anderson LLP – Boston maritime trial lawyers