Authorities Identify Corvallis Man Killed in Glacier Park Fall

Authorities have identified the 26-year-old Corvallis man who died near Haystack Creek in Glacier National Park.

Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry says Robert Charles Durbin died from injuries sustained in a fall on the evening of July 22.

Durbin was traveling to the park on a vacation with family.

At approximately 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Glacier National Park dispatch received a call from a shuttle bus driver and simultaneously from a visitor with an inReach device that someone had fallen at Haystack Creek, approximately five miles west of Logan Pass along the Going-to-the-Sun Road. Park rangers and Two Bear Air Rescue immediately responded.

Rangers found that the victim had fallen approximately 100 feet below the road near Haystack Creek.

Initial witness reports indicate that Durbin was taking photographs along Haystack Creek on the upper bank of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, according to the National Park Service. At some point, he fell into the creek and was washed through the culvert that goes underneath the road.

The Going-to-the-Sun Road was closed to traffic in both directions for approximately one hour on Saturday evening while rangers secured the scene of the accident and Two Bear Air Rescue recovered the victim’s body from a ledge below the road.

No suspicious circumstances have been noted and the investigation is ongoing.

Falls are a leading cause of death in Glacier National Park. Park visitors should use caution around all water features, especially waterfalls and lakes. Water can be cold, fast moving, and high at many times of the year, and rocks can be very slippery. There are numerous areas in Glacier’s high country with steep drop offs. Visitors should remain vigilant as they enjoy the park to be aware of their surroundings and areas where falls are possible.