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View Full Version : Maryland Hiker Dies In The Smokies



TOW
12-23-2009, 08:44
http://www.timesnews.net/article.php?id=9019264

Hyway
12-23-2009, 08:53
Damn, that's terrible. be careful out there, people.

modiyooch
12-23-2009, 08:53
My husband would consider this suspicious. He always remarks about the wives that happen to fall off ledges such as at Grandfather Mt.

takethisbread
12-23-2009, 08:58
second fatal accident in about a month on the trail.

MintakaCat
12-23-2009, 09:36
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
12-23-2009, 12:51
That makes me go hmmmm........ :-?

Hyway
12-23-2009, 12:55
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
12-23-2009, 14:47
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. :confused:

Ladytrekker
12-23-2009, 15:10
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
12-23-2009, 15:28
How can you tell the difference between falling and being pushed with an atopsy?

Hyway
12-23-2009, 18:13
Point out one person who has jumped to a conclusion Mr Sanctimonious. :confused:

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

HikerRanky
12-23-2009, 18:40
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
12-23-2009, 19:52
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
12-23-2009, 20:01
How can you tell the difference between falling and being pushed with an atopsy?
Someone else's skin under the fingernails?

orangebug
12-23-2009, 22:55
Monday AM accident. Snow most of the weekend. Some sunshine melt runoff. Slippery icy rocks. Hypothermia. Bad things happen.

Rain Man
12-24-2009, 00:13
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
12-24-2009, 02:24
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
12-24-2009, 10:08
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
12-24-2009, 10:31
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
12-24-2009, 10:57
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

Tinker
12-24-2009, 11:28
Weary, you seem to imply that this and other accidental deaths in the outdoors are "products of ignorance".
Sometimes they are products of inattention, as this case probably was.
Personally, I have had mild hypothermia because I didn't pay attention to what I packed for cold weather trips (usually due to being in a hurry) - not ignorance, just inattention - either way the results can be fatal.
This sad event is probably just that - a moment's inattention. Happens every day on the highway.

Wise Old Owl
12-24-2009, 13:06
How can you tell the difference between falling and being pushed with an atopsy?


Different blunt force trama causes different bruising, broken bones, fractures and the force can be measured from the bones... Its not concise, but some trama cannot be self induced.

Unfortunate accident - thanks for posting the article.

modiyooch
12-24-2009, 22:59
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?not csi, local newspapers. It's plausible. It has happened prior. I doubt he's reading WB.

Graywolf
12-25-2009, 02:39
This such a sad tragedy...People need to be more aware of their surroundings and as someone else said, know their limitations..Take it easy... The wilderness is no place to get in a hurry or take things for granted..

Give the mountains respect...

Becareful people,

Merry Christmas

Doooglas
12-25-2009, 09:00
Take it easy... The wilderness is no place to get in a hurry or take things for granted.

Um. You, for the most part, are speaking to knotheads that saw off the handles on their toothbrushes and cry if they don't get their 20.317 miles per day on the "trail".:rolleyes::confused::rolleyes:

Ox97GaMe
12-25-2009, 15:43
It is sad that folks who dont know all the facts jump to conclusions.

First of all.... Where this accident occurred is NOT ANYWHERE near the AT, other than 'in the SMNP'.

Second... There are several places in the park (including the Greenbrier area) where there are stream crossings that do not have bridges. In dry season, some of these crossings can be calf to knee deep.

Third.. There has been a lot of snow and rain in the park the past couple of weeks. Streams are running at higher than normal levels. (Although not as high as the spring runoff season)

This is a very tragic story, as this couple was probably just visiting the park for the holidays, out on a day hike, and ran into some bad luck.

The article may not have even been needed to be posted on this forum, other than to serve as a warning, to hikers that plan to be out in areas that have stream crossings (like the Benton MacKaye), to be careful of high water right now.

Ox97GaMe
12-25-2009, 15:55
I should post the following as well before I start getting flooded with PMs and nasty replies on this thread....

I think it is important to post other hiking related articles on this forum. Folks need to identify the revelance of a particular article or post to the actual Appalachain Trail, or the any other trail thread on the forum. The benefits of having 'related' articles posted here for me are:
a) some related topics about other areas of the country pique my interest in hiking in other parts of the country or world
b) some related topics are about folks in my hiking circle and it is nice to get updates on where they are and what they are doing.
c) articles are sometimes about areas that I am planning to hike and have information that may be relivent to my planning process.

Graywolf
12-26-2009, 12:13
Um. You, for the most part, are speaking to knotheads that saw off the handles on their toothbrushes and cry if they don't get their 20.317 miles per day on the "trail".:rolleyes::confused::rolleyes:


UM...oh yeah, I forgot...

Ok, Forget what I said,,GEt in a hurryyy..Thats just fine by me....:banana

Chaco Taco
12-26-2009, 18:22
Give the mountains respect...

Becareful people,



Smartest thing said on this whole story

Zoooma
12-27-2009, 17:43
It is sad that folks who dont know all the facts jump to conclusions.

That's what we do, we as in American society in general. TV shows probably help perpetrate this. Cops are ALWAYS shown to suspect the husband first no matter what. Not just in fictional stories but in real-life stories. Cable news eats that stuff up. If the wife stays missing for long enough then eventually it's no longer "news" but before it gets to that point, it sure was great for them to have people on to speculate day in, day out.

Sadly, in this case, the husband may forever be suspected even if there's no evidence he did anything to cause the accident.

Hopefully the story will make someone think twice about how careful they are.

ChinMusic
12-27-2009, 18:04
Just who has jumped to conclusions?

I don't think anyone is under your pile.