Rescued hikers died later the same evening after driving their car into the sea

Two women who got lost hiking and were successfully rescued died later the same evening after driving their car into the sea. The friends presumably drowned, according to authorities in eastern Maine. They were named as Amy Stiner, 37, who was five months' pregnant and lived locally, and Melissa Moyer, 38, who was visiting from her home in Sunbury, Pennsylvania.



Mrs Stiner appears to have accidentally steered her 2001 blue Dodge people carrier, in foggy weather, down a boat ramp at the end of the ocean road at about 9pm on Tuesday. Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith called the deaths a tragic accident. "They called on the phone that they were in the water and the car was filling up. Then the phone went dead," he said. "An hour later, the deputies found the car."



Earlier that day, the women had been hiking in Roque Bluffs State Park, but got lost and called for help. An off-duty firefighter found them and their dog and gave them a lift on his quad bike back to his house, where a warden met them and took them to their parked car. But Mrs Stiner then appears to have turned right out of the car park towards the boat ramp, instead of in the other direction towards her home in Machias.



Volunteer firefighter Travis Preston found the submerged car in about 20ft of water about 175ft off the boat ramp. The women and the dog were inside on the back seats, with the doors closed and the windows up. The weather could well have contributed to the accident, Sheriff Smith said. "It appears they went the wrong direction and drove off the ramp," he added. "If you don't know the area, in the fog and rain it wouldn't be a difficult thing to do."

There's a news video here. (Click on image to start).