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Hiker in Isle Royale National Park died after losing consciousness

The 37-year-old woman was hiking with her partner in Isle Royale National Park when she experienced “medical complications,” the National Park Service said.

A Michigan woman died Monday of unknown medical complications while backpacking through a remote national park on Lake Superior, officials said.

The woman, a 37-year-old from Battle Creek, Michigan, was hiking with her partner near Lake LeSage in Isle Royale National Park when “she suddenly experienced health complications,” the National Park Service said in a news release Wednesday. Her condition worsened and she eventually became unable to walk, park officials said.

The woman then lost consciousness and stopped breathing, officials said. CPR was performed, but “attempts to revive her were unsuccessful.”

Other backpackers in the area contacted Michigan State Police via a delayed 911 text message and that information was relayed to a National Park Service dispatch center, officials said. Emergency medical technicians found the group and remained with them Monday evening.

According to authorities, a team from Isle Royale National Park arrived early Tuesday morning and took the group away from a remote location. The investigation into the incident will continue until Thursday.

“The community of Isle Royale wishes to extend its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” the National Park Service said.

Isle Royale National Park known for its isolation

Isle Royale National Park is one of the most remote national parks in the United States, according to Rock Harbor Lodge and Marina. The park was established in 1940, and over 99% of the land on Isle Royale is designated as wilderness.

Located in the northwest corner of Lake Superior, the park nearly borders the waters of Canada and Minnesota. It consists of over 400 islands, and the park's main island, Isle Royale, is about 50 miles long, according to the National Park Service.

As an archipelago or group of islands, Isle Royal is only accessible via Lake Superior by ferry, seaplane or private watercraft, the National Park Service said. Travel time by seaplane is between 35 and 45 minutes and by ferry between 1.5 and seven hours.

No vehicles are allowed on the island, and the National Park Service warns visitors that cell phone reception is unreliable in the event of an emergency. The park also advises visitors to rely on their skills and equipment in the event of an emergency, as park rangers can be difficult to reach and emergency response and evacuations can take a long time.

Relatively few travelers visit the park; according to National Park Service statistics, it has had just over 1.2 million visitors since 1940.

Deaths in the National Park

The woman's death is the latest in a national park in the United States. A recent analysis by law firm Panish Shea Ravipudi LLP found that while national parks are still safe overall, thousands of people have died in parks since 2007.

From 2007 to 2024, there were more than 4,200 deaths in national parks, according to the analysis. Data from the National Park Service showed that from 2014 to 2019, an average of 358 deaths per year were reported in national parks.

Across more than 420 national parks, 177 deaths were reported during that period, the National Park Service said. Half of all reported deaths were from unintentional causes, including car accidents, drownings and falls.

According to the National Park Service, half of the deaths occurred during physical activity, such as hiking, biking or swimming.

Numerous incidents in national parks have made national headlines in recent years, including two deaths this summer due to heat symptoms after a hike in California's Death Valley National Park.

Grand Canyon National Park has also seen a number of accidents. Last week, officials found the body of a missing 20-year-old woman after a days-long search. The discovery was the third reported death in the national park in a week, USA TODAY previously reported.

In July, a 20-year-old hiker fell from Half Dome in California's Yosemite National Park during a storm and died.

Contributors: Eve Chen, USA TODAY; Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press

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