Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 17
Oregon Hiker, 49, Dies in 75-100 Foot Fall on Alaska Trail
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jun 17

Oregon Hiker, 49, Dies in 75-100 Foot Fall on Alaska Trail

3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jun 17

Summary

  • Heath Didier, 49, of Portland was found dead Monday at the bottom of a cliff near Ketchikan after reporting Sunday night that he was lost on the Deer Mountain National Recreation Trail.
  • About an hour after telling Alaska troopers he was cold and lacked water, food, proper clothing and survival gear, authorities lost contact with him in low-light, foggy conditions.
  • A volunteer rescue squad searched on foot Sunday, then used a helicopter Monday near his last known location and found him partially submerged below the steep cliff.
  • Troopers said the fall’s cause is unknown, but the alpine trail is rugged, hard to follow even in daylight and nearly impossible to navigate in fog without familiarity.

Insights

He had a locator beacon. Why did a popular hiking trail still prove deadly for this Oregon man?
Are unprepared hikers creating a crisis for search and rescue teams in America's most rugged wilderness areas?
Is overconfidence in technology the real reason wilderness deaths are on the rise?