Authorities Identify Glacier Park Visitor Who Died from Sun Road Rockfall Injuries
Rex Schowengerdt, 72, of Missouri, was critically injured when a rock fell through the roof of a vehicle he was riding in near the Rim Rock section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road
By Tristan Scott
A 72-year-old Glacier National Park visitor critically injured on July 11 when a rock struck the vehicle he was riding in along a steep and narrow alpine section of the Going-to-the-Sun Road died from his injuries on July 16, park officials and Flathead County authorities confirmed this week.
Flathead County Sheriff Brian Heino, serving as coroner, said the visitor, Rex Schowengerdt, of Missouri, was flown by helicopter to Logan Health for treatment for the injuries, including brain herniation, intracranial hemorrhage and traumatic brain injury, but died as a result. Heino ruled the manner of death as accidental.
A Glacier National Park spokesperson said the incident occurred near the Rimrock section of Going-to-the-Sun Road, about a mile west of Logan Pass, at approximately 1:40 p.m. on July 11 when “a rock fell through the roof of a visitor’s vehicle … striking an occupant. The individual later died from their injuries.”
The National Park Service referred all other questions to the Flathead County Coroner’s Office.
“The Flathead County Coroner’s Office works closely with Glacier National Park and our partner agencies during these investigations to ensure a thorough and coordinated response since occurrences like this are uncommon,” Heino said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr. Schowengerdt’s family and loved ones during this difficult time.”
Although rockfall is a hazard on sections of the Going-to-the-Sun Road, and the Rimrock section of the scenic corridor below Oberlin Bend is famous for its steep cliffs rising high above the narrow roadway, it is rare that motorists are injured or killed.
In August 2019, a 14-year-old girl from Utah died when falling rocks struck the vehicle she was riding in near the East Tunnel on Going-to-the-Sun Road. The rocks that hit the vehicle were between fist-sized and 12 inches in diameter. Four other people were injured in the incident.
Before that, the last fatal injury from rockfall on Going-to-the-Sun Road occurred in 1996 when a vehicle was struck by a falling rock, also near Rimrock.