Vehicle stuck on sandbar becomes Acadia’s biggest weekend attraction

BAR HARBOR, Maine (WABI) - It’s been three days since someone drove an SUV out onto the sandbar between Bar Harbor and Bar Island at low tide, and it became stuck.

Multiple attempts to tow the vehicle proved unsuccessful.

It sat on floatation devices until another attempt to tow it out come at low tide Monday.

“We came down to see if we could maybe walk across to Bar Island and get an understanding of the tides and all that. We came down and saw a party started,” said Thomas Cooper, Delaware.

For those that do this kind of thing for a living, trying to get this 2021 Ford Bronco to shore hasn’t been like the others.

“Never had the float one before. Usually we can get them out without floating, but this is very unique, and it’s gonna sit there until low tide,” said Lester Foss, Island Towing owner.

But that’s not the only thing that made this one different. For a place that will see millions of visitors this summer, this was one of Acadia National Park’s biggest attractions over the weekend.

“This is one of the very biggest ones I’ve seen. Yesterday, there was probably two hundred people were lined up on the beach over here,” said Foss.

By the time Monday rolled around, it even had its own soundtrack.

“The music was different. Definitely different,” said Foss.

This is certainly not the first time a vehicle has needed to be rescued between Bar Harbor and Bar Island. It actually happens every year, but it doesn’t usually take three days for a vehicle to be rescued. And, it doesn’t usually turn into this kind of party.

Brian Sidelinger: “Have you ever had music being played?”

“No I hadn’t. The Beach Boys are playing, and I wanted to start dancing on the way in. I thought that was really cool. It’s a beautiful day. It’s springtime. Everybody’s happy to be outside, so it just added to everybody’s success here today. It was great to see everybody out,” said Greg Canders, Canders Diving Services.

“Life is pretty serious a lot, and smiling and laughing is way better than crying. I think that you don’t want to make fun of other people’s misfortune; however, don’t drive where you shouldn’t be, and then this won’t happen,”said Gary Allen, “Bronco Rescue” music director.

Officials tell us the Bronco was finally pulled to shore late Monday afternoon.

You can hear the entire playlist from the beach Monday morning by searching BH BRONCO RESCUE on Spotify.

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