Missoula woman dies in diving accident at Lake McDonald

An 18-year-old woman has died in a scuba diving accident at Glacier National Park’s Lake McDonald.

According to information from the Park, at about 5:50 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 1, a Glacier National Park Ranger responded to a report of a scuba-diving accident at Lake McDonald. An 18-year-old woman from Missoula was declared dead after resuscitation efforts by members of the diving group and first responders were unsuccessful.

The woman was part of a scuba diving group of six people who began their dive near the dock of Lake McDonald Lodge around 4 p.m., according to park officials.

At the time of the incident, bystanders drove to Apgar Village for a cellphone signal to call 911. A.L.E.R.T. was first on the scene, about 30 minutes after the initial 911 call. A second diver, a 22-year-old man, suffered shortness of breath and was transported by Three Rivers Ambulance to Kalispell Regional Medical Center. He was later flown to Seattle, Washington, for hyperbaric treatment.

The incident is under investigation and names have not yet been released pending next of kin notification.

Lake McDonald is popular among some scuba diving groups because of submerged artifacts, a press release from the Park indicated. Permits are not required to dive in Glacier National Park and diving equipment is not subject to Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) inspections.

The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Dive Team, Three Rivers Ambulance, and A.L.E.R.T. assisted in the rescue effort.