CAMDEN — An afternoon hike up Megunticook Mountain in the Camden Hills State Park turned dark and dangerous for a Texas couple May 4, just as they began their descent from the Ocean Lookout Trail and slipped on the hard granite rocks.

That was at approximately 7:30 p.m., and the sun had set on a rainy cool spring day. As night quickly settled around them, they called 911, and Camden firefighters responded, equipped with first aid supplies, a Stokes basket to carry down any injured, flashlights, water and headlamps.

As Fire Chief Chris Farley spoke with the couple, first from the bottom of mountain at Camden Hills State Park, and then as the rescue crew started up the mountain, he pinpointed their exact location on the trail. Knox Regional Communications Center, in Rockland, had set the coordinates of latitude and longitude, and rescuers entered the data into their phones, adjusted their packs, and set off.

The ascent began at 8 p.m. from the Tablelands Trail, which begins off the Mt. Battie Access Road approximately 700 feet up Mt. Battie. The Tablelands Trail begins with a moderate incline, before it ascends steeply toward the summit of Megunticook, at an elevation of 1,380 feet.

An initial crew of four started out with medical equipment, hiking quickly up the trail to find the couple. Another crew of five followed with more equipment and manpower.

Meanwhile, the couple, with their dog, waited near the top of the mountain on the Ocean Lookout Trail, cold, wet, and in pain. The man, in his 60s, had fallen on a slippery rock and injured his back.

Communication between Farley and the couple by phone continued as the firefighters climbed 2.8 miles, with an elevation gain of 575 feet. After moving through several trail junctures, the crews reached the couple, the dog barking with protective instincts, quickly followed by the wagging of her tail.

Then, the work of helping them down the mountain began. After assessing for injuries and hypothermia, the couple determined they wanted to walk down, and the 2.5-hour descent began, with crews steadying the two at every step. It was a slow and careful passage, picking routes around boulders, and making use of the stone steps built at the height of the Depression by the Civilian Conservation Corps, when the U.S. government created jobs for the thousands of unemployed. 

Those granite steps, strategically built at the steepest points in the mountain terrain, have been maintained by Camden Hills State Park, and served the rescue crews and the couple well, as they negotiated treacherous conditions. Meanwhile, the headlamps and flashlights illuminated the way, bouncing light off the reflective firefighter coats and cutting through the fog that moved in off of the ocean. At times, as the trail curved around granite cliffs, the lights of Camden appeared below, twinkling and comforting.

"It was just at midnight when everyone arrived safely back at the apparatus parked at the trailhead on the Mount Battie auto road," said Farley. "With thanks to the crews from North East Mobile Health Services and Coastal Mountain SAR who were standing by to offer aid if needed, we give a shout out to our crew for their patience and diligence in ensuring these fine folks made it home wet, tired, hungry but safe."

Once down, the couple went to Pen Bay Medical Center to be evaluated.

"Our advice," said Farley: "Know the terrain you are hiking in, be prepared with snacks and water, have a light source, charged cellphone, know the area you are hiking in and be familiar with trail routes."

Reach Editorial Director Lynda Clancy at lyndaclancy@penbaypilot.com; 207-706-6657