WEST GLACIER – Glacier National Park officials have identified the hiker who died in a fall Saturday afternoon as William Labunetz, a 67-year-old neurologist from Great Falls.
Labunetz, his 38-year-old son and three others were hiking near Helen Lake during a camping trip to Many Glacier Campground. Labunetz, who had climbed the Ahern Pass before, decided to take that route back to the campground instead of the goat trails the others were taking.
That’s when another group of hikers saw Labunetz fall 300 feet, and went to get help while one member of the party — a park employee — climbed down to try to assist Labunetz.
The park employee found the neurologist had already died of major injuries, park officials said.