A 26-year-old woman drowned after slipping into a creek in Montana’s national park and becoming stranded underwater for several minutes, according to officials.
According to the National Park Service (NPS), Gillian Tones from North Apollo, Pennsylvania slipped on slick rocks and fell into Virginia Creek, located between St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls at Glacier National Park, late Sunday afternoon. The incident occurred on Sunday, and the NPS identified the woman on Tuesday following the unfortunate event.
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According to the initial report by NPS, Tones was swept over St. Mary’s Falls. However, witnesses provided an update on Tuesday, clarifying that she actually slipped and fell into the creek.
According to a statement by the NPS, the cold and swift water quickly carried Tones away, and she went over a series of smaller waterfalls. She was then trapped underwater by a log for several minutes until other park visitors bravely came to her aid and rescued her from the river.
According to NPS, several 911 calls were made to Park dispatch and park rangers arrived at the scene at 5:45 p.m. MT, approximately 25 minutes after the incident was initially reported.
Several individuals, including bystanders, park rangers, and ambulance personnel, stepped in to help revive Tones. Even an ALERT helicopter arrived at around 6:20 p.m. MT, and medics worked tirelessly to resuscitate her. However, despite their best efforts, Tones never regained consciousness and was eventually declared dead at roughly 7 p.m. MT on Sunday, as reported by NPS.
The National Park Service expressed gratitude towards the first responders and a large number of bystanders who came to offer their assistance.
According to the NPS, “Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Tones during this difficult time. We ask that the public please allow them privacy to grieve.”
