A 37-year-old backpacker died Monday from unknown complications while hiking in a Michigan national park, authorities said.
The backpacker, a woman from Battle Creek, Michigan, whose family wished to remain anonymous, “experienced sudden complications” while hiking with her partner near Lake LeSage in central Isle Royale, according to a statement from the National Park Service.
Isle Royale National Park, Michigan. National Park Service
“His condition worsened, eventually becoming non-ambulatory, losing consciousness and ceasing breathing,” the statement continued. “Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was performed, but attempts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful.”
Isle Royale National Park is located on an isolated island in Lake Superior, and its remote location meant that park rangers and emergency personnel remained with the woman and her partner Monday night while a large team of staff waited to transport her body to the mainland Tuesday morning, park officials told NBC News.
Police confirmed Thursday that the investigation into her death is continuing and no additional information has been released.
Prior to this incident, Isle Royale had recorded two fatal accidents since 2007, according to National Park Service data. The U.S. has about 244 fatal accidents annually across its more than 420 national parks.
