Yellowstone: Falling Tree Kills 36-Year-Old Tourist At National Park

A 36-year-old Taiwanese tourist was killed on Monday afternoon after a tree at the Yellowstone National Park fell and struck him.

The tourist was part of a group enjoying a summer hike on the well-known Fairy Falls trail, just north of the Old Faithful area and west of the Grand Loop Road.

The man, who is yet to be identified, left the trail at one point and climbed a tree-covered slope in an attempt to get a better view of the Grand Prismatic Spring.

According to reports, a large lodgepole pine tree fell and struck him directly in the head.

Some of the people on the hike who witnessed the falling tree at Yellowstone headed back to the trailhead and told two park maintenance workers what had happened.

They in turn relayed that information to Yellowstone law enforcement rangers who immediately rushed to the scene.

The victim was taken by the rangers to the trailhead to await a helicopter to transport him to a medical facility. Unfortunately, attempts to revive him failed, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The rangers who responded to the call did report windy conditions at the park and confirmed that lodgepole was dead but had been standing since the park’s fires back in 1988.

It was around 25 years ago that the largest wildfire ever recorded in history took place at the Yellowstone National Park.

The flames from a number of locations spread out of control, and due to the increasing winds combined into one large fire which burned for a number of months.

That fire almost destroyed the park, and in September, 1988 the whole park was closed for the first time in its history.

The incident of the falling tree which killed the tourist at the Yellowstone National Park is under investigation by the National Park Service.