Park officials identify woman who drowned near St. Mary Falls
TAYLOR INMAN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 2 years AGO
Hikers enjoy St. Mary Falls on the east side of Glacier National Park on Sept. 1, 2019. (Matt Baldwin/Daily Inter Lake)
REPORTER AND PODCAST HOST Taylor Inman covers Bigfork and the north shore of Flathead Lake for the Bigfork Eagle and the Daily Inter Lake. Her reporting focuses on local government, community issues and the people who shape life in Northwest Montana. Inman began her journalism career at Murray State University’s public radio newsroom and later reported for WKMS, where her work aired on National Public Radio. In addition to reporting, she hosts and contributes to Daily Inter Lake podcasts including News Now. Her work connects listeners and readers with the stories shaping communities across the Flathead Valley. IMPACT: Taylor’s work expands local journalism through both traditional reporting and digital storytelling. | June 25, 2024 12:58 PM
Authorities on Tuesday identified the woman who drowned near St. Mary Falls on the east side of Glacier National Park as 26-year-old Gillian Tones of North Apollo, Pennsylvania.
Park officials initially said that Tones went into the water above St. Mary Falls on June 23, but clarified Tuesday that she likely slipped on wet, slick rocks and fell into Virginia Creek between the St. Mary and Virginia falls, about 200 yards above the trail bridge.
Tones was swept up by the cold, fast moving water and went over a series of smaller waterfalls before becoming pinned underwater by a log for several minutes, officials said. Nearby visitors undertook “heroic efforts” to free her from the water, authorities said.
Despite resuscitation efforts by bystanders, park rangers, ambulance personnel and A.L.E.R.T. air ambulance medics, Tones never regained consciousness. She was pronounced dead by A.L.E.R.T. personnel about 7 p.m., June 23.
Park dispatchers received multiple 911 calls routed through Glacier County dispatch at about 5:20 p.m. Park rangers were on the scene by about 5:45 p.m. and the A.L.E.R.T. helicopter landed nearby about 6:20 p.m.
Reporter Taylor Inman can be reached at 406-758-4433 or by emailing [email protected].
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