The family of a man gored to death by a mountain goat in Olympic National Park a year ago has sued the National Park Service for wrongful death, arguing the park staff knew the animal was a danger to hikers but failed to do anything about it.
Bob Boardman, of Port Angeles, Washington, was gored Oct. 16, 2010, on a trail near
Klahhane Ridge some 17 miles south of Port Angeles. The 63-year-old was protecting other hikers from a goat, estimated at 370 pounds, when it gored him in the thigh and then reportedly stood over him as he bled to death.
The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, Washington, after the Interior Department earlier this fall rejected a $10 million wrongful death claim brought by Mr. Boardman's wife, Susan Chadd, and stepson, Jacob Haverfield.
"Our investigation of Mr. Boardman’s death found that the Park Service knew this animal was dangerous, documented that this animal was dangerous, and a clear threat to hikers and Park Service staff for nearly four years,” said John Messina, lead attorney on the case with the Tacoma, Washington, law firm of Messina Bulzomi Christensen. "The Park Service failed to follow its own policies to remove dangerous animals from the park. Their failure to act and either remove or kill this animal according to park policy contributed to Mr. Boardman’s preventable death.”
Mr. Messina also noted in a release posted on the law firm's website that Olympic National Park staff have in the past killed animals, such as elk, that posed a threat to the public.
An investigation into the park's handling of the case by the law firm turned up documentation that the goat, known locally as "Klahhane Billy," had established a pattern of "aggressive behavior towards Park Service employees, experienced hikers, Boy Scout troops, (and) families with children."
While the park staff took various approaches to instill a fear of humans into the goat, including shooting bean bags at it and paint balls so it could be tracked, none worked, the law firm alleged. "At one point in 2009, the Park Service discussed more aggressive steps to protect the public from the goat, yet failed to follow through."
The law firm has requested a bench trial.
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Comments
It wasn't the parks fault at all. This is a horrible tragedy but the family needs to realize it was a wild animal, it's a national park not a theme park. Get over it and move on, this lawsuit is ridiculous. It's one of the risks you take when going into the wild.
This comment was edited to remove an affront to Subaru owners everywhere. -- Ed.
I thought it was illegal to carry guns, even licensed ones, into State Parks.
If you shoot a bear with a pistol I wouldn't expect to live through the experience. Bear spray works better and has less fatalities.
As someone who works in a park unless you plan on residents bringing their own protection and enforcing their own brand of animal control/justice, it's the park's responsibility to control/contain the animals. The argument about "they knew the dangers" or "it's a wild animal" doesn't hold water here. It sounds like they knew this animal was a problem but hadn't fully dealt with it yet, so the woman probably has a case.
Jack, the courts did not agree, and dismissed this case. https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2015/07/appellate-court-affirms-na...
"Get over it"
Whatever the family's goal for this lawsuit is, getting over it is not likely to ever be an outcome.
Its not even a species native to this country tho .. it shouldnt be there to begin with