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A hiker has died in Glacier National Park, the third death in the park in recent days

The entrance to West Glacier National Park
NPS
The entrance to West Glacier National Park

A 79-year-old Florida man died Monday morning while attempting to ascend a steep off-trail slope in southeastern Glacier National Park.

Park officials say the incident occurred several hundred feet above the Two Medicine Campground on Rising Wolf Mountain. It's the third death of a recreationist in recent days in the park.

The man in the most recent incident, who has not yet been publicly identified, fell while on a steep off-trail slope with a group of friends.

His party descended to his location, yelled for help and called 9-1-1. Two Bear Air diverted from a separate incident and transported the unconscious patient to Two Medicine Ranger Station where he was declared deceased.

In a separate incident in the last week, two Flathead Valley men died while attempting to summit Dusty Star Mountain. Glacier officials Tuesday identified the mountaineers as 67-year-old Brian McKenzie Kennedy from Columbia Falls and 67-year-old Jack Dewayne Beard from Kalispell.

Kennedy and Beard were considered expert climbers and have been summiting mountain peaks in Glacier National Park for decades, according to park staff.

Copyright 2022 Montana Public Radio. To see more, visit Montana Public Radio.

Edward O'Brien is Montana Public Radio's Associate News Director.