NYC Girl, Swept Out By Wave, Drowns Off Maine

On Sunday, an Upper East Side father and daughter were swept up by a huge (some say 20-foot) wave along with other visitors to Acadia National Park in Maine. Clio Dahyun Axilrod, 7, drowned in the water and her body was found a few hours later by the U.S. Coast Guard. Her father Peter Axilrod and a girl from Maine were rescued while four others were able to swim back. Axilrod is in critical condition while his wife has a broken leg after being slammed to the ground by the wave.

Video of USCG rescue after the jump; Coast Guard petty officer Thomas Sands said of the rescued, "With their conditions, they were suffering from hypothermia and shock. They were all banged up from falling over the cliffs and getting dragged over the rocks." Park rangers and locals warned visitors not to get too close—a viewing platform at Thunder Hole had been closed— to the Hurricane Bill-powered waves; one local told the Daily News, "Some people were annoyed, clearly thinking, 'Why is this stranger trying to tell me what to do with my kids?' After it was all over, a woman came to me and said, 'You saved my children's lives.' We hugged and cried." Chief Ranger Stuart West said closing Acadia, an island with multiple entry points, would be near impossible, "People come to the park to see the crashing surf; that's what Acadia is all about. We were all set for fierce weather. We were as prepared as we possibly could be for this."

The Axilrods' neighbors are in shock, telling NY1, "This is a terrible tragedy. This was the only child. She was the light of their lives. She was adored and very special."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on August 25, 2009 10:00 AM

Comments [rss]

pencap75

Are these irresponsible idiot parents gonna do the american thing and sue the park for not warning them enough?

Stewart

Just watched the AP video - watching the rescue boat bob around is sickening. Thank goodness the rescuers were all OK. Everyday there are people risking their lives to save someone who has done something foolhardy. I'm so sorry for the little girl's drowning, but wanted to acknowledge the rescue team and be thankful for their safe return to shore.

ides_of_march

Living in a city like New York that is so man-made, a lot of people forget how dangerous nature can be and treat it like they're at some theme park. These are the same people who try to pet rabid racoons in the park.

schizofriendly

...a lot of people forget how dangerous nature can be...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhAZkIgGnHM&feature=fvw

schadenfreudian mensch

Not park, City Hall.

ides_of_march

They're all over these days.

Steven

Have a good tripod with a good camera that zooms in well and you don't have to be right in front of the action.

blondeinthecity

It's so sad. Her parents are going to have to live with this one poor decision for the rest of their lives. Maine is a beautiful place (I grew up there), but it's when you start taking risks like this that you get hurt or worse: someone dies.

When the park rangers and the locals are telling you to be careful, its because they know the area is dangerous, not because they want to screw up your photo ops.

longacre

Here's video of the spot about 30 mins before the "rogue wave." They were already pretty big, and according to the person who shot this, park rangers soon moved spectators away from the area. Not sure how/why the Axilrods were down there. Sad either way... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMDbCTPTIcQ

Stewart

Wow, thanks for posting the video. People are giggling like they are standing by a water ride at Great Adventure. There's a little boy with a backpack standing right by the railing. So tragic, yet so preventable.

Jen Chung

Wow, those really are huge waves. It's a really sad situation—I also read that the family was walking away, and they never saw the wave coming.

Mr Mel

A tragedy. My heart goes out to the Axilrod family.

selenawrites

Acadia is one of the most beautiful spots in Maine, but the ocean is very powerful there. Last time I was there, a friend was pounded by a wave and broke her collarbone. Sad for this girl's family, but nature is not to be underestimated.

sexisicilian

Some people were annoyed, clearly thinking, 'Why is this stranger trying to tell me what to do with my kids?'

What the fuck goes through some people skulls?!