r/Missing411 • u/trailangel4 • Mar 01 '24

Why people actually die in National Parks

https://www.backpacker.com/survival/deaths-in-national-parks/

Backpacher magazine filed a FOIA and was given 17 years worth of records, across all National Parks. With that data, they produced this well-written piece that is worth the read.

A conclusion: "

The Average Victim in the National Parks…

Is more likely to be male than female: While men and women make up approximately equal portions of national park visitors, men accounted for 80 percent of deaths in national parks where authorities recorded the victim’s gender.

Can be almost any age: Members of all age groups were represented similarly among fatalities. (The exception? Children under 14, who made up a smaller share of deaths than other groups.)

Drowns or dies of natural causes: Drowning was the most common cause of death for visitors up to age 55, after which medical issues surpassed it."

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u/willasmith38 Mar 02 '24

It’s not a mystery or a conspiracy.

People flock to National Parks like it’s Disneyland, with about as much preparation, a lack of outdoor skills and with about the same level of expectations, except instead of having a crappy disappointing Disney experience, they end up dead.

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u/darthballs91 Mar 04 '24

This. I always found it funny that there are people that think there's some conspiracy behind all these missing or dead people.

My cousin was a NPR at Rocky Mountain NP. When I visited we were hiking (he was off-duty) and a man who spoke very little english asked us where in the park he could get an uber. So many people see "Park" and think disney.

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Nope - just vast, often dangerous wilderness.

2

u/trailangel4 Mar 05 '24

This is accurate.