Montana’s Glacier National Park witnessed a horrific sight on Sunday, August 25, 2024. On that day, authorities found the body of a hiker, Grant Marcuccio, a 32-year-old, after he allegedly fell off a mountain. Previously, the search and rescue team had declared him missing after he separated from his hiking party and never showed up.
The entire staff of the Glacier National Park, saddened by the loss, have offered their condolences to the family of the dead climber. Marcuccio’s death is just one of a fast-growing list of people who have died at the park within the past few years. Here’s the full story.
What Happened To Grant Marcuccio?
It all began on Sunday, August 18, when Grant Marcuccio started hiking in the park from Heavens Peak to McPartland Peak. According to the National Park Service, he began the adventure with a hiking group. But after a while, he “separated from his party.”
Even though people last saw him on the course, heading for McPartland Mountain, he never made it to the planned rendezvous point. That evening, his group members notified the rangers of his disappearance, and a search began.
People feared the worst as both mountains were over 8,000 feet tall. Heavens Peak is as high as 8,987 feet, while McPartland Peak reaches 8,413 feet. Soon after, authorities put together a comprehensive search team.
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The team comprised Glacier National Park staff, National Park Service officials, and North Valley and Flathead County Search and Rescue. The search also included input from the US Geological Survey, Flathead County Sheriff’s Department, Two Bear Air Rescue, and useful information from the public.
According to authorities, the rescue team has conducted multiple Bear Air aviation searches for Grant Marcuccio since then. The search began with a flight over the Heavens Peak area on Monday, August 19, and another the next day. The United States Forest Service also volunteered another helicopter for a search on Wednesday, August 21.
Furthermore, Glacier National Park released a formal missing person alert to the public. Authorities described the deceased, whose full name was Grant Robert Marcuccio, as a male Caucasian with brown hair and brown eyes.
They disclosed that he was 6 feet tall and weighed about 175 lbs. On the day he went missing, he wore a brown and white checkered shirt and brown shorts.
Grant Marcuccio Was Found Dead a Week After He Went Missing
After a full week of extensive search through the wide expanse of the park, authorities finally laid eyes on Marcuccio on Sunday, August 25. At about 2 p.m., Two Bear Air sighted his body from the air.
The rescuers dropped down to the spot, which was one-third of a mile east of McPartland Peak. They described the location as “below the ridgeline between Heavens Peak and McPartland Peak.” After that, they moved the body to the Apgar horse corrals.
There, Two Bear Air submitted the corpse to the local coroner. While the most probable cause of his death remains that he fell off the mountain, authorities must wait for qualified medical personnel to release their findings before they can announce the cause of death.
Grant Marcuccio’s Cause of Death Is Still Under Investigation
As of Monday, August 26, authorities were yet to hear from the coroner about the cause of death. On the other hand, the coroner needs to conduct a thorough investigation. In the opinion of the National Parks Service, the traumatic injuries the victim suffered, as well as the “location of the body, are indicative of a fall.”
For its part, Glacier National Park has offered its condolences to the victim’s family. In a statement, the park stated, “Glacier National Park staff would like to express their sincere condolences to the family and ask that the public respect their privacy.” Grant hailed from Whitefish, Montana.
After a Facebook post alerting the public of Marcuccio’s disappearance, one user who claimed to be his friend described his personality. “Grant is a good friend and climbing partner of mine, a talented and experienced mountaineer, a kind person, no ego, and loved by all,” the user wrote in the comments.
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Park Rangers Recovered Another Body Earlier This Month
Earlier in the month, an almost similar incident occurred at the park, where park rangers said they recovered another body. It was the body of one of two missing persons, Siddhant Vitthal Patil, 26, who went missing alongside Raju Jha, 28.
Both drowned in a river at the park. Patil was standing on a large rock after he diverted from the hiking trail. He landed on Avalanche Creek, where the current swept him into the gorge.
Jha, who is a native of Nepal, was swimming in Lake McDonald when he drowned. Friends said he wasn’t an experienced swimmer. He went underwater and never came back up. Both men visited the park from neighboring states. Patil was from California, while Jha came from Portland, Oregon.
In July, a woman, Gillian Tones, 26, was swept up into a waterfall in the park where she met her unfortunate death. According to the National Park Service’s statement, she was trapped and lay helpless under the water for several minutes.
Afterward, ambulance personnel arrived and tried to bring her back to consciousness through CPR. But their efforts failed to yield any results. Authorities declared her dead after 40 minutes of intense efforts.
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