GREAT FALLS — Two men drowned in separate incidents in Glacier National Park on Saturday, July 6, 2024.
Park officials said a 26-year old man from India was hiking past the gorge on Avalanche Lake Trail when he went into Avalanche Creek at about 8:30 a.m. Witnesses saw him go into the creek, go underwater, and resurface briefly before being swept up by the current and into the gorge.
Park campground staff were on the scene almost immediately, followed by law enforcement rangers at about 9 a.m.
An ALERT helicopter conducted aerial searches of the creek and more than 10 rangers scoured the area, but the person has not yet been found and is presumed dead.
Rangers believe the body is caught underwater in the gorge.
Due to poor visibility and hazardous conditions, ongoing search efforts will be scaled down and rangers are monitoring the area.
Avalanche Creek is at high water level due to snow melt runoff and the gorge is extremely dangerous, making conditions impossible for rangers to enter the gorge.
The young man was living and working in California and on vacation with friends.
Later on Saturday, a 28-year old man from Nepal was swimming with friends in Lake McDonald near Sprague Creek Campground. According to friends, he was an inexperienced swimmer. He was about 30 yards out when he started to struggle, went underwater, and never resurfaced.
Dispatch received a call at about 6:25 p.m. and rangers were on the scene by about 6:50 p.m.
ALERT helicopter and Three Rivers ambulance responded but stood down when park rangers were able to determine the location of the body about 30 yards offshore and 35 to 40 feet underwater.
The Flathead County Sheriff’s dive team responded and recovered the body at about 8:20 p.m.
The man was living and working in Portland, Oregon and on vacation with friends.
The names of the two victims have not yet been released. Park officials have contacted the Nepal and India consulates for assistance in contacting next of kin.
No other details have been released at this point, including whether the two men were wearing personal flotation devices. We will update you if we get more information.
This brings the number of confirmed drownings in Montana within the last three weeks to eight, in addition to one presumed drowning - click here for details.
