Authorities have identified the male hiker who died in Glacier National Park Monday after falling down a steep snowfield.
According to a press release from the park, 30-year-old Nicholas Ryan of Omaha, Neb., was hiking along the Grinnell Glacier Trail and took a 50- to 100-foot slide on the snowfield. Initial reports stated that a park ranger learned of the fall at 11:50 a.m. and that Ryan had sustained head injuries.
National Park Service Rangers, Kalispell Regional Medical Center’s ALERT helicopter and Minuteman Aviation responded to the incident in the Many Glacier Valley.
Medical personnel pronounced Ryan dead at 1:53 p.m. The Glacier County Coroner’s Office is working to establish the cause of death.
“Visitors to Glacier National Park are reminded that snow and ice still exist on some trails, and travel in some areas is not advised,” the release states. “Trails may traverse steep and sometimes icy snowfields and hikers are strongly advised to have the appropriate equipment and skills on how to use the equipment.”