“On August 21st, a 71-year old man hiking the Appalachian Trail, one mile north of Ashby Gap, Virginia, was fatally struck by a falling six-inch tree limb. Our sincere condolences go out to the friends and family.
While falling limbs and trees can potentially present a safety hazard to hikers walking on the Trail, the chances of getting struck are extremely low. For backpackers, it is worth noting that care should be exercised when selecting a campsite.
Hikers should inspect their surroundings by 100 feet and look up for disease and damaged trees or limbs. Trees and limbs are also more susceptible to falling during a windy day, during a flood, heavy snow, or other unusual conditions.
We appreciate the prompt response of the rescuers from Clarke County, and we hope that incidents like this never occur again.”
Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com
RockyMountainHikingTrails.com
HikinginGlacier.com
TetonHikingTrails.com
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