An 8-year-old boy was in serious condition Wednesday after suffering a head injury from a fall from a zip line at a residential summer camp in Winslow.
The summer resident of Camp Caribou struck his head on a metal rowboat after slipping off the line he was riding at about 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Winslow Police Chief Shawn O’Leary said.
“At some point, he lost his grip,” O’Leary said Wednesday, declining to release the boy’s name.
The boy was taken to Maine General Hospital in Augusta by Delta Ambulance and later flown by LifeFlight to Maine Medical Center in Portland, where he was listed Wednesday in serious condition, according to Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
The boy was among several youths using the zip line to enter the water from a gradually-sloping height of about 50 feet to the water. The boat was being used as a safety boat with a camp staffer on board. It may have drifted into the path of the zip line, McCausland said in a statement.
Camp Caribou has temporarily suspended its use of the zip line pending the outcome of an investigation, O’Leary said.
The accident has been referred to the Maine State Fire Marshal’s Office for investigation, as it is charged with inspecting mechanical rides and handling investigations of accidents involving them.
Camp Caribou advertises itself as an overnight camp for boys owned by the Lerman family for three generations. It is located on a 200-acre peninsula in Winslow and has an excellent safety record, O’Leary said.
“We have never had any issues out there whatever,” O’Leary said. “It’s really a tragedy because it is at the beginning of the summer months and camp vacation time.”
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