WEST GLACIER, Mont. (EYT) — A day at Glacier National Park turned tragic for an Armstrong County woman who drowned after slipping and falling into a river near St. Mary Falls on the park’s east side on Sunday, June 23, park officials reported.
The victim has been identified as Gillian Tones, a 26-year-old resident of North Apollo, according to park authorities.
Initial reports suggested that Tones entered the water voluntarily above St. Mary Falls, but further eyewitness accounts clarified that she lost her footing on the wet, slippery rocks and fell into Virginia Creek.
The creek, located between St. Mary and Virginia Falls and roughly 200 yards above the trail bridge, swept Tones into its swift, icy waters. She was carried over several smaller waterfalls and eventually became trapped under a log. Despite a swift response from park visitors who managed to remove her from the water, Tones was critically injured.
Emergency responders, including park rangers, ambulance teams, and ALERT helicopter medics, attempted resuscitation but were unable to revive her. Tones was pronounced dead at the scene around 7 p.m. on Sunday, June 23, said park officials.
The incident prompted multiple 911 calls that were routed through Glacier County dispatch starting at approximately 5:20 p.m. Park rangers arrived on the scene by 5:45 p.m., and an ALERT helicopter was on the ground by 6:20 p.m.
“The park extends their deepest condolences to family and friends of Tones and asks that the public respect their privacy,” the park said in a news release.