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Another Fatality At Great Smoky Mountains, One At Saguaro National Park

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Published Date

June 3, 2017

Warm weather likely played a role in two more deaths in the National Park System, as there was a drowning Saturday at Great Smoky Mountains National Park and a possibe heat-related death at Saguaro National Park.

At Great Smoky, park officials received a report of a possible drowning shortly after noon Saturday along Abrams Creek. Rangers responded to the scene and found a deceased adult male in the river approximately one-and-a-half miles from the Abrams Falls Trailhead.

The body recovery required the assistance of the park's technical rescue team. Due to the steep terrain, recovery could take several hours, a park release said. There was no immediate identification of the victim.

At Saguaro, Bradley Hughes of Geneva, Illinois, was found dead last Saturday on the Gould Mine Trail within the Tucson Mountain District (west) of the park. While the cause of death was not immediately known, park officials said the 34-year-old had an empty hydration bladder and no other water with him when he was found. Heat or dehydration may have been a factor, they said.

High temperatures in Saguaro last Saturday were in the mid-90s, though it is not uncommon for temperatures to reach into the 100s during the months of May and June. The combination of very hot and very dry weather can quickly lead to dangerous situations. Park rangers advised visitors to be extremely careful if they choose to hike this time of year.

“Get an early start and plan to be back before 10 a.m.,” said Chief Ranger Ray O’Neil. “Carry more water than you would think would be necessary, and be sure to turn back before that water is half gone. Check the weather forecast. If predicted high temperatures are above 110° F / 43°C, consider delaying your hike entirely until the weather cools down.” 

Earlier this week there were fatalities at Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park, Great Smoky, and Zion National Park. The death at Zion was determined to be a suicide in which a 23-year-old California man jumped 500 feet to his death from the Canyon Overlook Trail.

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