yosemite A string of recent deaths near well-frequented waterfalls in California's Yosemite National Park and on the Hawaiian island of Kauai have renewed debate about visitor safety in potentially treacherous environments - and about how much personal responsibility those visitors should assume.Search and rescue operations continued today along the Merced River below Yosemite's 317-foot Vernal Fall after witnesses said they saw one or more hikers slip into the water and over the edge Tuesday. Rangers have temporarily closed the Mist Trail, the popular hiking route that provides access to the fall, the Associated Press reports.Record snowfall has created unusually spectacular waterfalls in Yosemite this yea
, but the turbulent waters have taken a toll: At least eight people have died in the park this year, spokeswoman Kari Cobb told the AP. Visitors were traumatized in May when a hiker slipped and fell into the Merced River; his body snagged on a rock and rescuers were not able to reach it for hours. Two men died after being swept off a bridge near the Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in June, and one man who disappeared while hiking near Yosemite Falls with his church group is still missing.RELATED STORY AND VIDEO: Crowds stream into Yosemite National ParkRELATED: Olympic National Park warns hikers: Don't wee in the woods
No comments:
Post a Comment