News Release

Park Responds to Medical Fatality on Going-to-the-Sun Road over Labor Day Weekend

Date: September 3, 2019
Contact: For Media Inquiries, 406-888-5838
Contact: For Visitor Inquiries, 406-888-7800

West Glacier, MT – Over Labor Day weekend, a medical emergency temporarily restricted traffic for three hours just west of Lake McDonald Lodge.  

At approximately 3 p.m. on Monday, Glacier National Park rangers responded to a 911 call for an unconscious man just west of Lake McDonald Lodge on Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Rangers found a 64-year-old male unresponsive in a vehicle in which he had been riding as a passenger. Park rangers, Three Rivers Ambulance, A.L.E.R.T. Air ambulance, and medically qualified bystanders administered CPR and other emergency medical treatment.

The victim, who was a resident of Whitefish, MT, was declared deceased on scene. He is thought to have died from a heart attack. While this is believed to be a death from natural causes, Glacier National Park is releasing this statement due to the number of people who witnessed the incident. 

As A.L.E.R.T. Air Ambulance landed, traffic was stopped briefly, and then was routed around the incident in the far lane of travel until approximately 6 p.m.