3 deaths reported in one week at Glacier National Park
At least three deaths have been reported in the last week at Glacier National Park, according to the National Parks Service. A man fell down Wolf Mountain and the bodies of two missing climbers were discovered on Monday, according to park officials.
The man who fell down Wolf Mountain was identified as a 79-year-old from Florida. He was attempting to climb a "steep off-trail slope" with a group of friends when he fell, according to park officials. The group was several hundred feet above the Two Medicine Campground on Rising Wolf Mountain.
Following the man's fall, his friends descended to his location and alerted medical staff. The man was airlifted by Two Bear Air and pronounced dead by medical staff once on the ground.
The bodies of two missing climbers were also discovered in the Park on Monday. Brian McKenzie Kennedy, 67, and Jack Dewayne Beard, 67, were found by search and rescue after they were reported missing on Sunday.
The men began their trip on July 21, according to a press release from the National Parks Service. They planned to climb Dusty Star Mountain and hike out on July 22. They were reported missing after they did not return when they were expected on July 24, and park rangers recovered their vehicle on the trailhead the same day.
"According to park staff who knew the men personally, Kennedy and Beard were considered expert climbers and have been summiting mountain peaks in Glacier National Park for decades," the National Parks Service said in a statement. "As long-time members, both men contributed greatly to the Glacier Mountaineering Society and were well-known in the Flathead Valley community."
Air search and rescue teams were dispatched on Sunday morning and searched "potentially dangerous terrain" until the end of the day. The bodies were found Monday morning and recovered the same day.
"Park staff would like to express their deepest condolences to the families and ask that the public respect the families' privacy," a statement from the park read.