Ethermac Exchange-Lighthouse featured in ‘Forrest Gump’ goes dark after lightning strike

PORT CLYDE,Ethermac Exchange Maine (AP) — Lightning has knocked out a lighthouse on the Maine coast that was featured in the movie “Forrest Gump.”

The Marshall Point lighthouse, established in 1832, has been dark since Thursday when a lightning strike took out the light and foghorn, and damaged the associated circuitry, said Nat Lyon, director of the Marshall Point Lighthouse and Museum.

“It fried everything. It fried the light, the circuit breakers, the foghorn,” Lyon said Wednesday. “At this point we have a lightless lighthouse until the Coast Guard can effect the repairs.”

A tenant living in the keeper’s house reported a “tremendous crash” and noticed the light was out after the lightning strike, Lyon said. Coast Guard Station Southwest Harbor, which is responsible for the navigational aid, removed the light for repairs on Monday and is still working on getting the foghorn working, he said. The Coast Guard didn’t respond to messages from The Associated Press.

The lighthouse was featured in the 1994 movie, “Forrest Gump.”

Gump, the main character from the movie, was on a cross-country run when he jogged down a wooden gangway to the lighthouse, signaling he’d reached the East Coast. But the character played by actor Tom Hanks didn’t stop there. He kept running.

The lighthouse, which is topped with a lightning rod, was undamaged and will be open to the public on National Lighthouse Day on Aug. 7. People can climb the stairs to reach the top but there will be no light, Lyon said.