Outdoors
The BDN outdoors section brings readers into the woods, waters and wild places of Maine. It features stories on hunting, fishing, wildlife, conservation and recreation, told by people who live these experiences. This section emphasizes hands-on knowledge, field reports, issues, trends and the traditions that define life outside in Maine. Read more Outdoors stories here.
On May 20, Anthony Pollard was swimming alone at Monroe Falls. It was a quiet, peaceful day, he said. The sun was shining and it was the perfect day to swim.
About 10 minutes later, everything changed. Pollard suddenly went into shock.
“My legs stopped working, my arms went rigid, and it felt like I was being stung by thousands of jellyfish all at once,” he said.
Unable to control his limbs and about 15 to 20 feet from shore, Pollard said he genuinely didn’t think he was going to make it back.
He managed to kick toward the rocks and pull himself from the water.
Pollard remembered seeing three young people nearby earlier in the afternoon and hoped they were still close.
When he tried calling for help, the group initially couldn’t understand him. Once they realized something was wrong, they immediately came to his aid.
The group called 911, helped get Pollard fully onto a rock, wrapped him in towels and stayed with him until emergency responders arrived. A young man and blonde woman remained by his side while a brunette woman ran to flag down the ambulance.
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Later, Pollard learned he had experienced a rare reaction to a medication he had been taking.
“At the time, though, all I knew was that I was terrified, in severe pain and completely dependent on the kindness of strangers who didn’t hesitate for a second,” he said.
Five days after the incident, he posted a sign at Monroe Falls asking the trio to contact him. He has also shared his story on social media, Reddit and several community Facebook groups in hopes of finding them.
More than two weeks later, Pollard is still searching for the people who helped him.
Because he was in shock, Pollard remembers only a few details. He believes they were in their late teens or early 20s.
The sign posted at Monroe Falls includes Pollard’s contact information and asks the group to contact him so he can thank them personally.