Janice R. Andrews
A horrific accident happened on Sunday afternoon at Montana’s Glacier National Park, taking the life of a 26-year-old Pennsylvanian lady. The woman fell into the water above St. Mary Falls and drowned, according to confirmation from the National Park Service (NPS) on Monday.
Witnesses said that the woman was washed over the falls and was stuck underwater for a number of minutes. She was saved from the water beneath the falls by bystanders, who also gave her CPR until help could arrive.
At approximately 5:20 p.m. on Sunday, several 911 calls were routed via Glacier County dispatch and into Park dispatch. The scene was attended to by park rangers around roughly 5:45 p.m. The resuscitation efforts were taken over by Babb, Montana, ambulance staff and rangers, according to the NPS. In an attempt to help, an ALERT helicopter also touched down close by, but the woman never came back to.
The NPS said in a news release that “resuscitation efforts were terminated at about 7 p.m. and ALERT personnel pronounced the woman deceased.”
The body of the victim was brought to the 1913 Ranger Station, which is close to St. Mary, Montana. The coroner for Glacier County received the deceased there. The body will be taken by the coroner to Missoula, Montana’s medical examiner so that an autopsy can be performed.
Investigations into the incident are presently underway, and more information is being obtained. Since officials are contacting the woman’s next of kin, the woman’s name has not yet been made public.
The NPS finished their press release by saying, “The park extends their deepest condolences to the family and friends of this woman and asks the public to respect their privacy.”
