A man from Mount Desert Island and two girls “narrowly escaped with their lives” Wednesday night after their snowmobile went through the ice on Long Pond in Southwest Harbor.

Eli Strauss, 43, and his daughter, 12-year-old Julia Strauss, were rescued along with 12-year-old Jolie Beal, said Cpl. John MacDonald, spokesman for the Maine Warden Service, in a news release.

The three swam to the southeast shoreline of Long Pond. The girls remained on shore while Strauss trekked through the woods to find help.

This aerial view of Long Pond in Southwest Harbor shows the approximate location where a snowmobile went through the ice on Wednesday.

After being contacted by Strauss’ wife, Southwest Harbor police Lt. Mike Miller heard hollering coming from an area near rock ledges on Long Pond. Members of Tremont Fire and Rescue hiked about a half-mile to reach the girls.

Eli Strauss was found later, unable to walk without assistance because of hypothermia.

“Efforts to remove Strauss from the woods took time as terrain and conditions were challenging,” MacDonald said.

All three were treated for hypothermia at Mount Desert Island Hospital in Bar Harbor. Their prognosis appeared good, MacDonald said.

The snowmobile remained in Long Pond, which is the source of the town’s drinking water.

Dennis Hoey can be contacted at 791-6365 or at:

dhoey@pressherald.com

This aerial photo of the southern tip of Long Pond in Southwest Harbor shows the tracks of the snowmobile that plunged through the ice Wednesday.

This aerial provides a close-up view of the snowmobile tracks and the swim tracks to shore. The snowmobile is at the intersection of the two tracks.