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| Swiftcurrent Lake, Glacier National Park - canoes in foreground |
Drowning is the leading cause of death in Glacier National Park. Slippery rocks near fast flowing creeks pose a particular hazard. Earlier this month a 4-year old boy from Utah fell into Boundary Creek in Canada when crossing a bridge in the Waterton area of the park. His father jumped into the rushing waters to save him and was also swept away. The good news is that the two were rescued in Montana at the south end of Upper Waterton Lake in Glacier. The boy was unconscious but is reportedly recovering from the accident.
Sadly, we hear the recent reports of a 22 year old man that drowned in Swiftcurrent Lake in the wee hours of the morning on July 14. He and his friend were canoeing around 3:00 a.m. when their canoe reportedly tipped over. Both attempted to swim in the frigid waters but only one made it to shore. The body of James R. Greene of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania was found before noon on Tuesday approximately 20 feet from shore in about 8 feet of water.
It was extremely windy the day we canoed on Swiftcurrent Lake. So much so as to make it difficult to steer our canoes. I was in the canoe with M and at one point it was pretty tough paddling into the wind in order to return to the dock. It was an exciting and memorable experience . Read all about our adventure in the story titled Canoe Collision.