Another Yellowstone Death

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Thread closed.

kcmoedoe wrote:
The two most recent deaths in Yellowstone, this girl and the young man who drowned have one very important link. They both were doing something that is clearly prohibited. Tubing, rafting, boating etc. is expressly forbidden in ALL the rivers and stream in Yellowstone. All the trails that lead to the overlooks for the falls are clearly marked with multiple signs saying "Stay on the Trails only". Additional signage outlines the dangers associated with not following that simple rule, including warnings potential death. The truly amazing thing is that we don't see more casualties. On any given day you will see dozens of people ignore all the warning signs and do incredibly dangerous things.

How true. And then there will be those who will push for more hand rails and other safety measures. You're out to see and experience nature. Follow the rules and be safe. And parents, you're the ones responsible for your kids.

The two most recent deaths in Yellowstone, this girl and the young man who drowned have one very important link. They both were doing something that is clearly prohibited. Tubing, rafting, boating etc. is expressly forbidden in ALL the rivers and stream in Yellowstone. All the trails that lead to the overlooks for the falls are clearly marked with multiple signs saying "Stay on the Trails only". Additional signage outlines the dangers associated with not following that simple rule, including warnings potential death. The truly amazing thing is that we don't see more casualties. On any given day you will see dozens of people ignore all the warning signs and do incredibly dangerous things.

Having been to Yellowstone a number of times, it is 'wild' yet 'wonderful'. It is not Fort Wilderness. Once you get out of the vehicle in the back country, you are really on your own. This becomes evident when one enters the park: no cell phone signal. There is really no place else quite like it in the US.

We volunteered at some national parks and it's amazing the dangerous things people do. One I'll never forget was witnessing a father and 9 year old son boulder hopping in a deep fast moving river. The boy fell in and a search went on for hours. He was found a short distance of where he fell in, pinned against a boulder under water. I'll never forget the father's first comment after it happened, "I killed my son".

Folks really need to read signs and written warnings and use common sense. They go wild in national parks thinking it's a playground and we've seen many children running down trails and off trails without parent supervision.

Grand Canyon Nat'l Park is another where people do dangerous things by standing at the edge for the right picture. The canyon rock is very fragile and will crumble easily and down you go.

We saw a group of foreign visitors actually getting off the tour bus at Bright Angel Trail and running down the trail in dress shoes when the trail was still icy. They were so dumb and so lucky.

Please be careful out there.

I've hiked some pretty rugged back country trails in both Yellowstone and Yosemite. Even the "well traveled" so-called "easy" trails can be dangerous. The Mist trail in Yosemite for example is a really easy trail, but if the rocks are wet you can slip, fall in the river, perhaps hit your head or get carried away with the current if the river is flowing strong in the spring.

One observation I've made is that most people visiting the national parks are tourists. That's not bad, it just is. And as such they really don't understand that they are in a wilderness and not another Six Flags park. I've seen people trying to push strollers on hiking trails, wearing flip flops, not carrying anything other than a camera (no water!), kids running amok, etc.

I've seen people getting chased by elk. I've seen them go right up to a buffalo. I've seen them hang off of parapets to try and get photos. It's a wonder there are so few deaths.

ddndoug wrote:
Maybe a silly question, but... I've not yet made it to Yellowstone, are the trails that close to cliffs that a simple misstep or "loss of footing" could send a person tumbling to their death?

Oakman posted a nice photo above, but yes, many of the trails in the national parks can be dangerous. In Yellowstone there are warning signs all over the place about not wandering off the trails because of all the hot springs and thin crust that can break through if you step on it.

Tragic for both families - well, all 3, referencing the young man whose body was found in the Black Hills as well. But there are plenty of warnings issued in and at entrance to the national parks; people don't pay heed and sometimes pay the ultimate price. As far as a "surge" goes, there usually seem to be 1 or 2 deaths a year, minimum, in Yellowstone, usually because someone did something dumb or wasn't paying attention. We can't protect people from themselves 100%.

PotKorn wrote:

dicknellen wrote:
Again what does this have to do with RV parks and Campgrounds. Dick

RV Parks, Campgrounds AND ATTRACTIONS. Yellowstone certainly qualifies.

I quite agree. There are some members in the Black Hills thread that also don't know what qualifies as an ATTRACTION"

ddndoug wrote:
Maybe a silly question, but... I've not yet made it to Yellowstone, are the trails that close to cliffs that a simple misstep or "loss of footing" could send a person tumbling to their death?


Doug

The short answer is yes, there are some trails close to the edge of a cliff and if you have a child with you then you should be holding their hand tightly. Yellowstone is called a “park” but it is truly a wilderness area with some civilized areas within it. Can you be killed by an animal in the park? Yep! Can you fall to your death? Yep! Can you fall into a hot spring or geyser and be scalded to death? Yep! But with over 3 million visitors per year the chances are you won’t be injured or killed in Yellowstone, but it does happen. When you visit Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Glacier, Denali or many of the other national parks you need to bring a lot of common sense and just a little outdoor knowledge with you. As you can see in the photo below, people can do some really dumb things.



Here’s a photo of one of the more popular trails in Grand Teton NP. As you can see, tripping and falling in the wrong direction can mean your demise.

ddndoug wrote:
Maybe a silly question, but... I've not yet made it to Yellowstone, are the trails that close to cliffs that a simple misstep or "loss of footing" could send a person tumbling to their death?

Man how horrible her family must feel. Such a horrific tragedy at what was supposed to be a fantastic adventure.

Doug

If it's the trail I'm thinking about yes it is close, but the trail is paved and wide enough for two people to walk side by side with ease.

It is sad that a young person lost their life by not staying on the trail, this not only happens in Yellowstone but other NP too.