Woman dies in Glacier scuba accident

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (2) – 11/4/20

A group of six from Missoula was scuba diving in Glacier National Park’s Lake MacDonald over the weekend when park rangers received a call about an accident at approximately 5:50 p.m. An 18-year-old woman was pronounced dead after first responders were unable to resuscitate her. A second member of the group, a 22-year-old man, was treated for shortness of breath, then transported to a Seattle hospital for hyberbaric oxygen therapy, a treatment used on scuba divers when they experience decompression sickness upon rising to the water’s surface too quickly, known as “the bends.” Lake McDonald is a popular scuba diving spot due to its clear water, but no requirements exist for recreationists regarding equipment or permits. The incident is still under investigation.