# Two Ladies get rescued once and then die shortly later in another mishap. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 24, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437 "2013-07-24T23:56:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 24, 2013, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/1 "2013-07-24T23:56:03Z")
Two ladies Rescued once from a mountain. They leave in their car and drive right down a boat ramp into the water. Somehow it just wasn’t their day to visit a state park. I know the original rescuer must feel terrible. But he had no way of knowing they’d make a wrong turn leaving that area. > **[Wrong turn led to hikers’ deadly Maine plunge](https://www.centralmaine.com/2013/07/24/maine-hikers-lost-car-accident-roque-bluffs-state-park-amy-stiner-melissa-moyer/)** > > The victims, who had just been rescued from a state park, were able to call 911 as their vehicle sank but couldn’t be found in time. > [@](#): > > A pregnant woman who had lived in Machias for just a year and her friend from Pennsylvania died Tuesday night when they apparently drove their vehicle off a boat landing and sank. > > The crash happened just a few minutes after the women had been rescued after getting lost at the nearby Roque Bluffs State Park in the midst of a steady downpour. > > Amy Stiner, 37, of Machias – who was five months pregnant – and Melissa Moyer, 38, of Sunbury, Pa., had called for help because it was getting dark. An off-duty firefighter found the pair and took them to their car, a 2001 blue Dodge minivan, said Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith. > [@](#): > > Mother-of-one Melissa Moyer, 38, from Sunbury, Pennsylvania, was visiting long-time friend Amy Stiner, 37, who was five months pregnant, in Machias, Maine when the two women went hiking at Roque Bluff State Park but got lost in the midst of a heavy downpour. > > Moyer called for help as it was getting dark and the friends were no doubt relieved when nearby landowner and member of Sunrise Search & Rescue, Wayne Hansom, found them and dropped them at Stiner’s 2001 blue Dodge minivan. > > But as they left the parking area at around 9 p.m., Stiner took a right turn instead of the left turn that would have taken them back to town, and accidentally drove through the heavy fog down a boat ramp and into the ocean. The pair and their dog drowned in the submerged vehicle. > > - See more at: [http://www.wblxlocal.com/national/18048-amy-stiner-dies-pregnant-woman-and-friend-accidentally-drive-down-boat-ramp-into-ocean-and-drown-minutes-after-they-were-rescued-while-hiking-on-mountaintop.html#sthash.1iOZ7o6G.dpuf](http://www.wblxlocal.com/national/18048-amy-stiner-dies-pregnant-woman-and-friend-accidentally-drive-down-boat-ramp-into-ocean-and-drown-minutes-after-they-were-rescued-while-hiking-on-mountaintop.html#sthash.1iOZ7o6G.dpuf) ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/2 "2013-07-25T00:53:24Z")
[Gasp](http://cdn.alltheragefaces.com/img/faces/large/surprised-gasp-l.png)! Final Destination! ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/3 "2013-07-25T01:12:09Z")
Geez, that is a horrible story. The picture of the one woman at Christmas with her significant other and her dog (the dog that also drowned?) really got to me. ☹ I have always thought that drowning is a horrible way to go and being in a car that’s sinking would be terrifying. I wonder if they tried to roll the windows down and couldn’t? That’s usually what they say you should do to escape if you can’t open the doors on a car that’s sinking. I can see how it happened. In bad weather, especially at night, it would be easy to get lost and disoriented multiple times. That one article shows the boat landing and I can definitely imagine that I could get confused and drive into the water under those circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/4 "2013-07-25T01:22:35Z")
If I recall the method on Mythbusters correctly, trying to open the windows **before** the car sinks very far is your best bet. Alternately, wait until car pressure equalizes then roll down windows or open doors, or (naturally) break a window with a spring-loaded tool designed to do that. (You can buy multi-tools like that via Amazon for usually under $20; they typically have a seatbelt cutter and flashlight built in, too.) ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/5 "2013-07-25T01:46:05Z")
I saw a local news story where they explained that you should open the car doors right after getting in the water. Don’t waste time on 911. There’s only a short window of time that the doors will open before the pressure builds up. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/6 "2013-07-25T01:48:51Z")
Gosh, that woman was intent on dying. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/7 "2013-07-25T03:33:04Z")
The article said it wasn’t the first time someone drove off that ramp. Would some signage help? Speed bumps? Lights? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/8 "2013-07-25T03:37:29Z")
Darwin’s Theory in Action! ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/9 "2013-07-25T04:20:23Z")
They should never place a boat ramp at the end of a road. It’s just an accident waiting to happen. It should be L Shaped. Where the road dead ends maybe a couple hundred feet past the ramp. That way you have to turn off the road to get on the ramp. Much less chance of someone just driving along and running into the water. We had a lady killed about 40 miles from my house last year. Dark rainy night. She was lost and drove right off the road and into the lake. A senseless tragedy. > [@AuntiePam](#): > > The article said it wasn’t the first time someone drove off that ramp. Would some signage help? Speed bumps? Lights? ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/10 "2013-07-25T04:30:49Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > I can see how it happened. In bad weather, especially at night, it would be easy to get lost and disoriented multiple times. I can see driving down the wrong road, and maybe even down a boat ramp and into the water. But it’s a ramp; how much farther past the water line would you have to go for the water to cover the whole car and drown you? ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/11 "2013-07-25T04:43:21Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I can see driving down the wrong road, and maybe even down a boat ramp and into the water. But it’s a ramp; how much farther past the water line would you have to go for the water to cover the whole car and drown you? Does it actually have to cover the whole car? Or just enough to disable it and you can’t see and just get dragged in? Not sure - but I’ve been in some pretty heavy rains - and if they started to get deeper - not sure if it would have even occurred to me I might be on a boat ramp until it was too late… ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/12 "2013-07-25T04:48:44Z")
Apparently too stupid to live. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/13 "2013-07-25T04:54:36Z")
Apparently it was found 175 feet from the shore - apparently other cars have floated in - in the past, but people got out in time. I also wouldn’t expect to see my car start floating - and once it is floating you probably can’t reverse either. And article suggests electronic locks and doors may have made it hard to get out. I know it sounds stupid, but I really think it could be a combination of really unlucky factors. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/14 "2013-07-25T05:32:50Z")
> [@DataX](#): > > Does it actually have to cover the whole car? Or just enough to disable it and you can’t see and just get dragged in? It has to be deep enough to at least cover your nose and mouth. Suppose you drove in until the water was up to the door handles; water would flow in but it wouldn’t get any higher inside the car than out. Maybe there’s something here I’m missing; like the ramp was very steep or dropped off suddenly, or the water disabled the doors locks and windows until they were carried farther out by the tide or something. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/15 "2013-07-25T06:29:27Z")
I guess it really was their time. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/16 "2013-07-25T18:55:35Z")
I think it goes back to what Bill Cosby said in one of his old comedy routines; some people just go around all day with nothing but “BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ” in their head. Unfortunately that lack of attention is sometimes fatal. Don’t drive if you can’t see the road. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/17 "2013-07-25T19:03:03Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I know the original rescuer must feel terrible. You win some, you lose some. ---
**Author:** ![want2befree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3e96dc/32.png) [@want2befree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/want2befree)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/18 "2013-07-25T19:28:55Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > You win some, you lose some. Literally. ---
**Author:** ![Minnie\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Minnie\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Minnie_Luna)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/19 "2013-07-25T20:30:45Z")
I went to high school with Melissa. Their have been a couple of tragic deaths recently involving fellow classmates, it has been kinda weird. I’m not religious, but I do hope she is at peace… ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437/20 "2013-07-25T20:34:23Z")
They may have been hypothermic after the first rescue and not thinking or reacting at top efficiency while driving. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-ladies-get-rescued-once-and-then-die-shortly-later-in-another-mishap/664437.md?page=2)