Carrie Jones

Jan 29, 2026

BAR HARBOR—A rescue mission for a man stranded on or near Bar Island, Wednesday evening became a recovery mission andemergency service personnel from multiple agencies found the body of a 25-year-old man in the ocean near Bar Island, Thursday morning.

The man had been stranded on Bar Island late Wednesday afternoon. Search efforts were led by Acadia National Park. The Maine Marine Patrol, United States Coast Guard, Acadia’s search and rescue team, and Bar Harbor Police and Fire Departments assisted.

“Federal, state and local first responders conducted an overnight search using K-9 resources. Search operations resumed Thursday morning with assistance from the National Park Service, Maine Marine Patrol, Maine State Police and Maine Warden Service. The individual was located deceased late Thursday morning,” Amanda Pollock, deputy chief of interpretation for Acadia National Park released in a statement late Thursday afternoon.

According to the statement, “The National Park Service is leading the investigation into the fatality, and no further information is available until 72 hours after notification to next-of-kin.”

Emergency personnel began searching Wednesday evening, focusing on the island, which is a focal point for many visitors to the area. Acadia National Park officials, Maine Marine Patrol staff and other agencies continued the search this morning amid bitterly cold temperatures.

The man’s cell phone sent a pin from the island, which is just off Bar Harbor’s West Street, connected to the mainland at low-tide via a 0.4-mile gravel land bridge and is part of Acadia National Park.

Park rangers and marine patrol wardens returned multiple times to the island, via the marine patrol’s boat, to search. Inoperable drones and a park boat that would not start did not help with the search efforts.

High tide yesterday was at approximately 6:30 p.m. and then low tide was today at approximately a half hour past midnight and will be again at 1:30 p.m.

Bar Island is often the site of rescues as people become stranded after walking across the bar to the island. When the tide comes in, they cannot walk back until the tide becomes lower. Ice was also in the area.

Dogs from the Maine Warden Service arrived shortly before midnight and searched.

Even before then, the searchers on foot looked on all the island’s trails and also had a team on the shore searching.

LT J.P. Freeman of the United States Coast Guard said Thursday morning that the National Park Service was the lead agency for the search.

The Coast Guard responded Wednesday night with its 47-foot motor life boat, according to Lt. Freeman “They also have (a) 10 foot rescue skiff that they use to get closer to shore.”

Station Southwest Harbor Coast Guard personnel conducted a vicinity search, Wednesday night, working in conjunction with the other agencies.

“Search and rescue is a core Coast Guard mission, and we take it very seriously. We stand ready to continue supporting our local partners with search efforts. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England Command Center or the National Park Service,” according to Commander A. J. Betts, Response Department Head, USCG Sector Northern New England.

This morning, he added, “We are not actively searching but are standing by if they do need additional search assistance.”

According to the National Park Service, “The remainders of old buildings can be spotted here and there on the island. Many different families called this island home over the years. Members of the Rodick Family lived here over 100 years and had a farm on the island. They even continued to raise sheep here after gaining massive success in the hotel industry. A TV news reporter named Jack Perkins had a home here for 15 years also. His land became part of Acadia in 2003.”

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Photos: Shaun Farrar/Bar Harbor Story.

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A QUICK EXPLANATION: We know that many of us are desensitized to media and social media videos and images of people who are deceased. We have a policy that unless we can rationalize the use of such a photo for the greater community good that we will not use those photos or videos that we take unless it does so. This is not a new policy for us, but we thought we should express it here.

For a similar reason, we don’t publish stories like this one until we have official confirmation of facts and outcomes to be sure that families and loved ones have been notified first.

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