Rescue operations recovered all of the 20 tourists who were washed into the sea from the Acadia National Park site, and several were evacuated to a local hospital suffering from broken bones and back injuries, a park official said.

"We had several thousand people lining what we call Ocean Drive inside Acadia National Park watching the waves that were unusually big," the park's superintendent Sheridan Steele told CNN.

Coastguard spokesman Petty Officer James Rhodes told AFP that nine people were taken to hospital and three more were pulled from the water.

Both Steele and Rhodes initially said two or three sightseers were unaccounted for after the accident, but by 7:00 pm (2300 GMT) the park's carpark had emptied out and the missing persons reports were rescinded.

"We have closed the search because we believe that every one has been accounted for," Rhodes told AFP.

The accident happened at a cliff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean known as Thunder Hole. The site is known for the huge waves that crash against the cliff, throwing up scenic spray.

But Rhodes said the wave that swept onlookers into the ocean was likely associated with Hurricane Bill, which caused high tides and surf along the US east coast as it headed towards Canada.

"It looks like it's with the weather, with the hurricane and everything," Rhodes said. "Due to the hurricane coming through we have had reports of rough waves."

In its latest advisory, the National Hurricane Center said Bill was continuing to weaken as it passed Canada's east coast.

The storm, which is the first hurricane of this year's Atlantic storm season, was headed for Newfoundland with winds of 75 miles (95 kilometers) per hour.

Steele said high waves of the type that hit Thunder Hole were not unusual and that park officials had tried to warn onlookers to be careful.

"I've seen other storm surges like this. They're quite dramatic," he said. "Even though we try to warn people and try to get people to watch from a safe distance, we weren't able to contact everybody in time."

earlier related report
Weakened Hurricane Bill heads toward Canada
Hurricane Bill lost strength on Sunday as it moved along Canada's northeast coast, but its strong winds knocked out power in Nova Scotia, and created waves that swept tourists into the sea in Maine.

At 2100 GMT, the National Hurricane Center said the storm -- the first hurricane of the Atlantic season -- remained at Category One strength, but Bill's top wind speeds had decreased to 75 miles (120 kilometers) per hour.

The Miami-based center said the storm was about 385 miles (620 kilometers) west-southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland, moving north-northwest at about 35 miles (56 kilometers) per hour.

Bill is likely to be downgraded in the next 24 hours, but has caused some damage in eastern Canada, where strong winds and rain knocked out power to 32,000 customers.

Some roadways in Nova Scotia were closed and more than a dozen flights from Halifax airport were cancelled as the storm passed through the area.

Hurricane Bill also produced strong swells, including a rogue wave that swept sightseers at a scenic cliff spot at a Maine national park into the Alantic Ocean.

Rescuers were able to retrieve all the tourists from the water, moving several who suffered broken bones and back injuries to a nearby hospital, a Coastguard official told AFP.

Earlier, as Bill moved along the US east coast, tropical storm warnings were put in place, including in Nantucket and the upscale island of Martha's Vineyard, where President Barack Obama and his family were headed for vacation.

Category One is the weakest rating on the one-to-five Saffir-Simpson scale, but the storm had raised concerns and the Obamas decided to slightly delay their planned Sunday morning departure to Martha's Vineyard.

By Sunday afternoon, the storm warnings were lifted and the Obamas touched down safely at their holiday destination.

A hurricane watch was still in place for the east coast of Nova Scotia, while surrounding areas were warned of tropical storm conditions with heavy rains of three to five inches (7.5-12 centimeters). Isolated areas could receive seven inches (18 centimeters).

Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Hilda strengthened a little after forming in the eastern Pacific basin on Saturday. It moved westward with top winds at 45 miles (75 km) per hour, according to the NHC.

At 1500 GMT, Hilda was located 2,075 miles (3,335 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Mexico's Baja California peninsula and 1,070 miles (1,725 km) east-southeast of Hilo, Hawaii.

The Atlantic hurricane season began on June 1 and ends on November 30.

Bill's progress follows one of the calmest starts to the hurricane season in a decade, which researchers for the state of Colorado attributed to the development of an El Nino effect in the Pacific.

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