Woman Drowns at Maine Beach Over The Weekend, Bystander Saves Her Life

Memorial Day Weekend is the unofficial kickoff to tourist season here in the Pine Tree State. There's a reason they call this place 'Vacationland' after all. Summer is when millions of people flock to Maine to take part in our hiking trails, beachside eateries and clogging up coastal Route 1 with their BMWs.

However, in the midst of all the crowds over the long weekend, a hero emerged from the crowd. The incident happened on Saturday in one of the most popular tourist towns in the entire state.

According to an article published by The Kennebec Journal, a woman began drowning in the ocean at Long Sands Beach in York, Maine. York Police and Fire were called to Long Sands Beach near the Stones Throw Hotel Saturday afternoon after reports came in around 3:45 about a possible drowning, according to officials.

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The KJ reports that by the time crews got to the scene, a heroic bystander had already stepped up big time by pulling the woman from the water and starting CPR right there on the beach. Thanks to that quick action, the 20-year-old was breathing on her own again before being taken to York Hospital.

Last summer, lifeguards at some of Maine’s busiest beaches saw a spike in water rescues, mostly because of a rise in dangerous rip currents, the newspaper said. It’s a scary trend that’s had more and more swimmers needing help getting back to shore.

Experts tell the Kennebec Journal that the brutal winter storms that slammed Maine in late 2023 and early 2024 didn’t just do damage above ground, they also reshaped the ocean floor. Those storms carved out hidden underwater troughs and sandbars that make it way easier for rip currents to form, even if you can’t see them from the shore.