Tragedy strikes in the sky-high wilderness: Taiwanese man killed by fallen tree in Yellowstone National Park, USA

▲U.S. news website Fox 14 reports on the death of a Taiwanese tourist in Yellowstone National Park caused by a fallen tree. (Image / Screenshot from the internet)

Reported by Xiao Wanning / Comprehensive coverage

According to a June 11 report by the U.S. news website Fox 14, a 36-year-old Taiwanese tourist died on Monday after being struck by a fallen dead tree while visiting Yellowstone National Park. The man had moved closer to the Grand Prismatic Spring to get a better view of the scenery but was fatally hit on the head by a nearby lodgepole pine that suddenly toppled. Officials from Yellowstone National Park stated: "Park personnel first moved the tourist to the start of the trail and awaited helicopter rescue. Lifesaving efforts were performed before he was transported to the hospital, but he had already lost vital signs."

Park rangers noted that the lodgepole pine had died in the 1988 wildfires and had remained upright until strong winds likely caused it to fall on that day. Fatal accidents involving visitors in Yellowstone National Park are not unheard of—previous incidents include being trampled or bitten by wildlife, and even scalding by geysers. However, death caused by being struck by a fallen lodgepole pine marks a first in the park’s history.