(Nexstar) – Three people were taken from Florida to hospital after falling into the waters of Glacier National Park while taking photos.
The Rangers in Montana Park said they received several satellite SOS reports for individuals who fell into Avalanche Creek on Sunday.
The Rangers explained that all three were preparing photos with a fourth visitor on several rocks above the avalanche valley from Florida. Two members of the group tried to help them, but fell on its own.
According to Glacier Rangers, while one person grabbed a tree branch, the other two were “swept through the canyon.”
Before the emergency crew arrived, they were warned that CPR was already underway to visitors caught in the canyon. Bystanders were able to successfully revive both individuals, “responding” when the Rangers arrived at the scene along Avalanche Creek.
The ranger had to rappel on a third individual trapped in the canyon. After that, a technical rescue team was called and obtained both.
All three people listed in stable condition were taken to local hospitals.
Like many national parks, own death is a major cause of death in Glacier National Parks, authorities said.
Last summer, a 26-year-old man from India died in the park after being swept through the flows and canyons of Avalanche Creek. On the same day, a 28-year-old man from Nepal died in Sprayg Creek. A friend told the Rangers he was an inexperienced swimmer.
The 26-year-old Pennsylvania woman was drowned near St. Mary’s Falls in the park in June 2024 after an eyewitness said she had slipped over a wet rock and fell into Virginia Creek. According to the Rangers, she was wiped out of multiple small waterfalls and locked underwater with logs for several minutes until park visitors pulled her out of the water. Despite efforts by the bystanders and authorities, she was declared dead on the scene.
In 2023, a University of Kansas student fell from a rocky overhang into an avalanche creek and was swept into a canyon. Bystanders were able to pull her out of the water and soon began playing CPR, but she was eventually declared dead on the scene by emergency personnel.
“Visitors are reminded to look around near the water,” a Glacier official said in a press release Tuesday. “Speed, cold glacial streams and rivers, smooth rocks and slippery logs all pose dangers. You don’t walk, play or climb slippery rocks or logs, especially around waterfalls.”
