Tragedy struck Glacier National Park early on Tuesday morning, July 14, when a 22-year-old male of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, drowned in Swiftcurrent Lake.
James R. Greene had been paddling in a canoe on the lake in the early hours of Tuesday morning. When the canoe tipped over, he was unable to swim the full distance to shore. Greene was a former Glacier Park Inc employee; he served as a waiter at Many Glacier Hotel.
The event occurred about 3am Tuesday morning.
Greene and Joseph “Clay” Nelson -a 29-year-old male of Spring, Texas- had been paddling the canoe at 3am when the boat tipped and both men were forced to swim ashore. Nelson arrived on shore and reported the event to officials.
Nelson is currently employed with Glacier Park Inc at the Many Glacier Hotel.
A search for Greene began shortly after the incident was reported, and the man's body was found roughly 20 feet from shore in about 8 feet of water shortly before noon Tuesday.
Just under 20 National Park Service employees searched the area for Greene's body. A helicopter and dive team were requested for the search, but were not needed.
According to rangers, the ambient air temperature at the time of the incident was between 45-50 degrees Farenheit, or roughly 10 degrees Celsius.
No details were released on the distance both Nelson and Greene had to swim to arrive on shore.
The national park strongly advises park-goers to take appropriate precautions when recreating on Glacier's water bodies.
“The park strongly recommends people do not recreate on or near water after dark. The park advises people to be aware of current weather and water conditions and adjust plans accordingly. The park strongly recommends people always use a personal flotation device or lifejacket when recreating on water. Water related accidents are the number one cause of fatalities in Glacier National Park.”
Greene had not been wearing a life preserver at the time of the incident.
Greene's body was recovered from the lake and sent to a coroner's office in Glacier County; the National Park Service has requested an autopsy as part of the investigation.
Details were not released on why the canoe flipped, or why the two men had been on the water at 3am Tuesday morning. Details are expected from the National Park Service once the investigation has concluded.
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