A Tragic Weekend in Glacier and Yellowstone Parks
Glacier National Park authorities are repeating their calls for people to be especially careful around the park's many rivers, waterfalls, and lakes after two people lost their lives to drowning over the weekend.
Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has been called in to review the details of a weekend shooting in Yellowstone National Park that resulted in the death of a park visitor, and a park ranger being injured.
The two incidents come as both parks hit the mid-summer mark, dealing with tragedies in addition to problems caused by the crush of visitors.
Latest drownings bring Glacier's total to three
Glacier National Park rangers had just had to deal with one drowning in late June when a 26-year-old Pennsylvania woman drowned when she fell into the water about St. Mary Falls and was then pinned under the falling water.
Now, rangers say a 26-year-old man from India was hiking past the gorge on Avalanche Creek Trail when he fell into the creek. Friends and witnesses saw him resurface but was then swept downstream into the gorge. His body still hadn't been recovered even after an extensive search.
That;'s not far from where a woman drowned in Avalanche Creek last year.
A second drowning on Lake McDonald
Saturday evening, GNP rangers reported a 28-year-old man from Nepal, who is described as "an inexperienced swimmer" was about 30 yards offshore in Lake McDonald near Sprague Creek campground when he started to struggle and then vanished.
Rescuers found his body in 35-to-40 feet of water.
The victim had been living and working in Portland and was visiting the park with friends.
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Yellowstone shooting investigation
Meanwhile, following standard procedure, the FBI is now handling the investigation into the fatal shooting at Canyon Village last week.
Rangers were called with the report of a man with a gun who was making threats. There was "an exchange of gunfire" after they arrived on the scene, which resulted in the death of the man. One ranger was injured and was transported to the hospital, where he was reported in stable condition.
No additional information on the confirmation was immediately released.
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