Woman drowns after falling into creek at Glacier National Park

A Pennsylvania woman drowned Sunday after falling into a creek and being swept up by the water near St. Mary Falls at Montana’s Glacier National Park.

Gillian Tones, 26, of North Apollo, died after she slipped on slick rocks and fell into Virginia Creek between St. Mary Falls and Virginia Falls on Sunday afternoon. The National Park Service said dispatchers got several 911 calls about the woman’s fall around 5:20 p.m. Park rangers were in the area by about 5:45 p.m.

“Tones was quickly swept up by the cold, fast moving water and went over a series of smaller waterfalls, then was pinned underwater by a log for several minutes until heroic efforts by other park visitors led to pulling her from the river,” park officials said.

Park rangers, bystanders and medics tried to resuscitate Tones, but she never regained consciousness. She was pronounced dead around 7 p.m. Sunday, officials said.

Officials said they are investigating Tones’ death and an autopsy was scheduled.

Drowning is among the leading causes of fatalities in Glacier National Park, according to the National Park Service.

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