Officials have confirmed that a 26-year-old woman lost her life due to drowning. She was swept over a waterfall and became trapped under the forceful water for several minutes.
On Sunday afternoon, the National Park Service (NPS) received several 911 calls through Glacier County dispatch at around 5:20 p.m. regarding an incident where a 26-year-old woman from Pennsylvania was swept over St. Mary’s Falls on the east side of Glacier National Park, Montana. According to an NPS statement released on Monday, the woman fell about 35 feet into the water below.
The National Park Service (NPS) reported that witnesses saw the woman being swept over the falls and getting trapped under water for a few minutes. Fortunately, bystanders quickly acted and pulled her out of the water below the falls. They administered CPR until the emergency responders arrived. When the park rangers and Babb ambulance personnel arrived, they took over and continued performing CPR.
According to NPS, park rangers arrived at the scene at 5:45 p.m., just about 25 minutes after the incident was initially reported.
At approximately 6:20 pm, additional support arrived from an ALERT helicopter to aid in the resuscitation efforts of the victim. Despite their best efforts, the victim remained unconscious and did not regain consciousness.
According to NPS, the woman was pronounced deceased by ALERT personnel around 7 pm after the resuscitation efforts were terminated. The body was flown to the 1913 Ranger Station near St. Mary, MT by ALERT, where the Glacier County coroner met them at approximately 7:30 pm. The coroner is currently transporting the body to the medical examiner in Missoula, MT for an autopsy.
Authorities are currently investigating the death of a woman. The victim’s identity is yet to be released as her next of kin are being notified beforehand. Further details are still being gathered in relation to this incident.
The NPS expressed their gratitude towards Glacier County, ALERT, Babb Ambulance, and US Border Patrol for their unwavering support during the unfortunate incident. They also thanked the bystanders who provided immediate assistance. The park authorities conveyed their heartfelt sympathies to the family and friends of the deceased woman and requested the public to respect their privacy during this difficult time.
