Hikers are rescued, then drive to their deaths in Atlantic Ocean off Maine - U.S. News

anyone following the above story? Sad situation, but I just can't believe they literally drove down a street onto a dock and off into the atlantic ocean a couple miles from being rescued. talk about jumping from the pan into the fire

How fast were these women going? Did they think it was the start of some kind of bridge? what a horrible mistake

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The fact that they had to call on their electronic nannies to be packed out of a park because they got caught in a rainstorm speaks volumes to their unpreparedness, carelessness, and bad decision making. Wonder what would have happened before electronannies became to ubiquitous. They'd have likely:
(a) waited out the storm in the woods and got out the next morning
(b) or not gone hiking when bad weather was forecast
(c) been more prepared for weather, both while driving and while hiking

"I can always call for HEEEELP/ask for directions/look at a map on my cell phone" seems to trump common sense these days. The first time around wasn't a rescue. It was a pampering of fools. "Rescue" would have been if they'd have broken a leg in a crevice and been unable to move.

This is sad, but the whole trip up to driving into the water seems to have been a big grab bag of fail.

consider this-

The article states they called for help from the inside of the van after driving into the ocean. Both women and their dog were found drowned in the rear of the minivan.

They had time to dial an emergency phone number and make a cell call from the sinking vehicle, yet were unable to get out of the vehicle. One of the women was pregnant, which definitely could have hampered her movements, but wow

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It says five months pregnant - most people aren't really restricted at that point.

Darwin at work.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

It was 2100 hrs, rain and wind, I suppose it could happen. Wish they had boarded the dog then it wouldn't be dead and have another shot at life.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

Not sure. If it had gone in nose first, could the water pressure have made the door hard to move so they went to the back which is still above?

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

It should have had sliding doors just behind the front doors. Once the water started to come in, the pressure should have been equalized enough at some point while they still had plenty of air to open at least one of those doors.

They panicked.

Looks like a Caravan moommyvan. Can the rear hatch on those be opened from the inside? If it was still above water, it should have been easy.

(Not sure about the sliding doors, since they have to move outward against water pressure before sliding back.)

Dark, water all around and you slipped into it. Unless you are trained for it, panic is very possible.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

I don't know. I know my excursion doesn't allow you to open the hatch from the inside. Once you get it opened, the "barn doors" can be opened from the inside.

Sliding doors probably are on it but you are right about having to move it out a little to slide it back.

OTOH, like PC suggested, it could be panic that really got them to the position they were in.

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01 Ford Excursion Powerstroke
99 E300 Turbodiesel
91 Vette with 383 motor
05 Polaris Sportsman 800 EFI
06 Polaris Sportsman 500 EFI
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Red
03 SeaDoo GTX SC Yellow
04 Tailgator 21 ft Toy Hauler
11 Harley Davidson 883 SuperLow

They could have been still in schock from being lost. Tragic.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

This is truly a tragic event.

it’s not so easy to get out of an underwater car. Fwiw, Mythbusters did this -
http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/videos/underwater-car-escape-minimyth.htm

http://goo.gl/maps/BqVaX

Scary, looks like the road just dead-ends into the water. Still shouldn't have outdriven their lights or been unprepared for conditions -- cell phones make people careless.

In addition to the 3R's, hard sciences, and a foreign language or two, school should include:
(1) Shop class
(2) Cooking class
(3) Scouting, with all able-bodied students being required to make their way out of a nearby state park at dusk with a map, compass, but no cell phone as a condition of graduation.

Good pic sp. Would not surprise me if they were cruising along there at 55+ based on the way the road looks.

I'll tell ya'll right now. If I ever drive off in the water the first thing I'm not going to do is call 911. Maybe they could not swim?

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Jim