St. Maries man dies in Glacier Park fall

An 18-year-old St. Maries man fell to his death Thursday night near Logan Pass in Glacier National Park.

Park rangers recovered the body of Brandon Luis Avalos in the Big Drift area east of Logan Pass on Friday afternoon.

Rangers rappelled down a cliff to reach Avalos, according to a news release Saturday from Glacier Park.

It is believed that Avalos climbed over the guard rails along Going-to-the-Sun Road and fell approximately 100 feet to his death. The area is very steep with several cliff bands and large areas of rocks.

Park employees in the Logan Pass area were notified Friday morning by friends of the victim that Avalos had fallen east of Logan Pass.

An initial investigation indicates Avalos and three friends were visiting the park late Thursday night.

Around 10 p.m. Thursday, they were traveling on Going-to-the-Sun Road and stopped near the Big Drift area east of Logan Pass when Avalos exited the vehicle.

Avalos did not return, and the friends thought he might have been hiking back to Logan Pass. The friends stayed in the area overnight waiting for Avalos to return.

They began looking for him Friday morning and contacted park employees when they found his body. The Glacier County Sheriff's Office determined Avalon died from an accidental fall. Park rangers recovered the body around 4 p.m. Friday and it was transported to a local funeral home.