Victim in fatal climbing accident identified

Glacier National Park officials have identified the victim of a Tesuday climbing accident in the Logan Pass area of the park as Josh Yarrow of Wichita, Kansas.

Yarrow, 20, was spending the summer working for a local business in the West Glacier area, according to a press release from the park.

Yarrow was mountain climbing off-trail in an area known as the Dragon’s Tail, just southwest of Mount Reynolds. According to the park, he was attempting to retrieve a fallen backpack when he fell of approximately 500 feet. The accident was witnessed by a climbing partner who went for help.

Glacier Park rangers received the report of the accident at 7:46 p.m. and immediately initiated a search-and-rescue operation. Two Bear Air’s rescue helicopter was able to get to the victim and then confirmed that he had died. The body was recovered by Two Bear Air.

This incident was the second rescue mission in the Logan Pass area within the past week. On Wednesday, July 16 a climber was injured after sliding down a snowfield near the saddle on Mt Oberlin. Falls while hiking and climbing, along with drowning, are the leading causes of accidental deaths in Glacier National Park, according to the park.

Glacier National Park officials want to remind visitors that off-trail hiking and mountain climbing are inherently dangerous activities due to extremely rugged and steep terrain. Hikers and climbers will encounter steep snowfields and loose rocks along many of the climbing routes within the park.