Fatality Near Alberta Falls In Rocky Mountain National Park

Date: June 13, 2008
Contact: Kyle Patterson, 970-586-1363

A seventy year old man from St. Louis, Missouri, died above Alberta Falls in Rocky Mountain National Park, today, Thursday, June 12. A visitor contacted the park via cell phone at 11:05 a.m. and indicated that a man was unconscious and breathing. A few minutes later another visitor called to say the man was not breathing and had no pulse. Visitors on scene initiated CPR. A physician hiking in the area was also with the victim. A ranger/EMT arrived on scene at 11:40. He inserted an airway, administered oxygen with a bag valve mask and continued CPR. Shortly thereafter, another ranger/EMT arrived on scene attached an AED on the patient, but no shock was advised. At 11:51 two ranger parkmedics arrived on scene. An advanced airway was successfully placed and cardiac medicines were administered. After consulting with the park’s medical advisor, a physician at Estes Park Medical Center, the man was pronounced dead at 12:28. CPR had been conducted on the man for almost an hour and a half.

The victim was approximately 1.5 miles from the Glacier Gorge Trailhead. He was hiking with his wife. His name will be released after other family members are notified. The Larimer County Coroner will release his name and cause of death.

This is the second fatality at Rocky Mountain National Park this week. A sixty-six year old man from Fort Collins died from a fall near Emerald Lake on Saturday, June 7.