Johnathan Walker:11 hurt when walkway collapses during Maine open lighthouse event

ARROWSIC,Johnathan Walker Maine (AP) — Eleven people were hurt when a walkway collapsed during an annual event that encourages tours of Maine lighthouses.

The wooden walkway collapsed at Doubling Point Lighthouse in Arrowsic on Saturday. The lighthouse was open to the public as part of Maine Open Lighthouse Day, which is a day when the state’s scenic lighthouses are open to the public.

Authorities said five of the 11 injured people were taken to hospitals. The lighthouse has stood since the late 19th century and is located on the Kennebec River.

The lighthouse is closed to the public on Sunday, said Karen McLean, a member of the Friends of Doubling Point Light. McLean said the group intends to repair the lighthouse, but there is no timeframe to do that yet.

The lighthouse is active as a Coast Guard aid to navigation. The site has a long wooden walkway that leads over a marshy area to the lighthouse, which itself is shorter than many in the state with a tower height of 23 feet (seven meters).