In what can only be described as a freak accident, a 22-year-old hiker is dead. He passed away after a tree fell on him at Yosemite National Park in California.
The incident happened earlier this month. The tree ended up crushing the hiker after strong winds pushed down the plant. According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the victim was 22-year-old Harry Partington. Partington was a native of Australia. According to National Park Service (NPS) spokesperson Scott Gediman, Partington was hiking Yosemite's Four Mile Trail on October 8 around 2:30 p.m. There were some strong winds in the area at the time.
"There was some wind and a wind gust blew a tree down," Gediman said. The tree ended up collapsing on Partington and another woman when it fell. Reportedly, the woman and Partington didn't know each other. The accident also severely injured the woman. First responders ended up airlifting her from Yosemite to a nearby hospital.
Yosemite Tragedy
Sadly, there was nothing that could be done for Partington. Gediman confirmed they were performing an autopsy, but the cause of death seems definite. The spokesperson encourages hikers to always be ware of their surroundings and keep a close out for potential hazards.
"We always ask that people have situational awareness and be aware of your surroundings," Gediman said. "This is certainly an unfortunate event."
A bystander, Kelly Kennedy Bentley, opened up about the incident at Yosemite. She said that she was initially concerned that the first responders were there for her husband and family. Her family was out on the trail while Bentley waited for them at the start of the trail. Fortunately, she said her husband texted her that they were okay.
"My kids and husband were on the trail but didn't see what happened," Bentley told The Union Democrat in a text message on Monday. "I was parked at the trailhead at the bottom when the emergency personnel arrived and headed up the trail.
Still, she was witness to the scene.
"My kids remember about 30 emergency personnel on the trail, paramedics and firemen, and rescue personnel," Bentley told the newspaper. "The trail was closed. I saw the helicopter up there at least twice."
