Maryland Hiker Dies In The Smokies

[TOW]

http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9019264

[Hyway]

Damn, that's terrible. be careful out there, people.

[modiyooch]

My husband would consider this suspicious. He always remarks about the wives that happen to fall off ledges such as at Grandfather Mt.

[takethisbread]

second fatal accident in about a month on the trail.

[MintakaCat]

My husband would consider this suspicious. He always remarks about the wives that happen to fall off ledges such as at Grandfather Mt.

I wouldn't be surprised if there is coroner's inquest or something along those lines. I'm not sure if Sevier County has a coroner or medical examiner, but I suspect the county would do something. It's no fun, but if you lose a spouse, the legal system will, in some form, look at you as a suspect until proven otherwise.

[bulldog49]

That makes me go hmmmm........

[Hyway]

Since I am not the investigator in charge of this case, I'd prefer to give this guy the same treatment I would hope for if my wife had just died in front of me until such time as actual evidence gave me a reason to think differently. I lose nothing by not jumping to conclusions before any facts are known.

[bulldog49]

Since I am not the investigator in charge of this case, I'd prefer to give this guy the same treatment I would hope for if my wife had just died in front of me until such time as actual evidence gave me a reason to think differently. I lose nothing by not jumping to conclusions before any facts are known.

Point out one person who has jumped to a conclusion Mr Sanctimonious.

[Ladytrekker]

I wouldn't be surprised if there is coroner's inquest or something along those lines. I'm not sure if Sevier County has a coroner or medical examiner, but I suspect the county would do something. It's no fun, but if you lose a spouse, the legal system will, in some form, look at you as a suspect until proven otherwise.

I work at a Medical Examiner's Office in Florida. NC has a Medical Examiner system the same as us and anyone involved in an accident is autopsied that is standard protocol. They will be able to tell if it was an accident or not.

[DAJA]

How can you tell the difference between falling and being pushed with an atopsy?

[Hyway]

Point out one person who has jumped to a conclusion Mr Sanctimonious.

You're cute. I only stated what my preference is. Perhaps your vehemence towards me speaks more about you than it does me.

[HikerRanky]

First of all, my condolences to the family... This is certainly a bad thing to happen no matter what time of the year, but especially during this time of the year.

As to why or how she died is not really the point here. A human being is no longer with us. The area that she was in is truly beautiful. Ramsey Cascades Trail, Old Settler's Trail, Porters Creek Trail, Grapeyard Ridge Trail, all are very nice hikes.

Again, my condolences to the family and her friends.

Randy

[Doctari]

Sad. That would (likely) be the same stream the Ramsey cascade is on. Pretty good flowing stream on a normal day, I have been there when the water is high, oh yea, not a swimming stream.

[ChinMusic]

How can you tell the difference between falling and being pushed with an atopsy?

Someone else's skin under the fingernails?

[orangebug]

Monday AM accident. Snow most of the weekend. Some sunshine melt runoff. Slippery icy rocks. Hypothermia. Bad things happen.

[Rain Man]

Someone else's skin under the fingernails?

That could be from trying to help. The story says he grabbed her in the stream, but couldn't hold on, or some such.

I recall the poor fellow whose wife was killed in a stream by a bear in the Smokies a few years ago. Lots of accusations, though forensics pretty much proved his story.

Still, the hubby always get blamed to some extent for some period of time by some people. I guess the moral of the story is don't take your wife in the woods?

The whole thing is sad, sad, sad.

Rain Man

.

[srestrepo]

this just stinks... sucks that in the beauty of it, the ruggedness always has to rear its ugly head. i know that the adventure attracts us, i just wish this wasn't one of the end results... my deepest condolences to the family.

[modiyooch]

I recall the poor fellow whose wife was killed in a stream by a bear in the Smokies a few years ago. Lots of accusations, though forensics pretty much proved his story..

What were the accusations, if she was killed by a bear??

[Rockhound]

My husband would consider this suspicious. He always remarks about the wives that happen to fall off ledges such as at Grandfather Mt.

you've been watching too much CSI. I'm sure the husband is going through enough grief right now. He could probably use the support of friends and loved ones not accusations and finger pointing. Honestly, you read a paragraph or two about a tragedy and immediately jump to the conclusion that foul play was involved?

[weary]

Nature is neither good, nor bad. Nature just is. Periodically, people die by not recognizing that nature often has unexpected surprises. I regularly see people in Maine walking out on seemingly safe rocks during storms. Periodically, someone gets swept overboard by an extra large wave. A child died just a few weeks ago on rocks in Acadia National Park when its parents refused to heed a rangers warning of danger.

People have died in almost every month of the year on Mount Washington in the Presidentials. It's almost routine for people to die on winter trips to that and other northern mountains. The media reports these as unforunate accidents. I think of them as products of ignorance.

That's why I try to know my limitations, why I don't wade the Kennebec, why I'm the one who seems to have the only extra jacket in his pack when someone in a hiking party gets into trouble. And thats why I'm sometimes suspicious of folks who are so proud of going ultralight.

Speculation is easy when deaths like that in the Smokies occur. But it seems most likely that the couple didn't recogmize that rocks are slippery. And that clambering about on the edge of a rushing torrent can kill you.

Weary