WEST GLACIER, Mont. (WHTM) - A Pennsylvania woman has been identified after drowning at Glacier National Park in Montana.
The National Park Service says Gillian Tones, 26, of North Apollo, Armstrong County drowned near St. Mary Falls on the east side of the park on Sunday.
Citing witnesses, The National Park Service says Tones slipped on wet rocks and fell into Virginia Creek, about 200 yards above a trail bridge. She was then swept up by cold, fast-moving water and went over a series of smaller waterfalls before her body was recovered thanks to "heroic efforts" by park visitors.
Tones was pronounced deceased around 7 p.m. despite resuscitation efforts by bystanders, park rangers, ambulance personnel, and ALERT helicopter medics.
Multiple 911 calls were received around 5:20 p.m. and park rangers were on scene 25 minutes later. A helicopter landed at the scene around 6:20 p.m.
"Park staff would like to thank Glacier County, ALERT, Babb Ambulance and US Border Patrol for their support, along with numerous bystanders for their immediate assistance," said the National Park Service. "The park extends their deepest condolences to family and friends of Tones and asks that the public respect their privacy."
North Apollo is a borough located about 35 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. According to the 2020 census, the borough had a population of 1,252 people.