A 37-year-old woman died while backpacking at a remote location at Isle Royale National Park in Michigan on Aug. 12.
The woman, who was hiking with her partner, died after experiencing sudden onset medical complications, according to a news release by the National Park Service (NPS).
“As her condition deteriorated, she was eventually unable to walk, lost consciousness, and stopped breathing. CPR was provided but attempts to resuscitate her were unsuccessful,” the release stated.
The woman was identified as being from Battle Creek, Michigan.
Other backpackers in the area alerted Michigan State Police via a delayed 911 text message, which was passed on to an NPS dispatch center.
Emergency teams were dispatched, located the party, and stayed with them on the evening of Aug. 12.
Early the next day, a crew of Isle Royale staff responded to transport the party from the remote location, according to the NPS.
An investigation is still ongoing.
The NPS, on behalf of the Isle Royale community, extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.
The Isle Royale National Park was established in 1940 and is considered one of the most remote locations in the United States, with almost all of the park land designated wilderness.
The park’s main island, Isle Royale—about 50 miles in length—is one of over 400 islands in the park and is located near Canadian and Minnesota waters, according to the NPS.
As a remote archipelago, the area can only be accessed by crossing Lake Superior via a ferry, seaplane, or private water crafts, with travel times ranging from 35 minutes to several hours, depending on the type of transport.
Vehicles are not permitted on the island, which has poor cell phone service. Visitors to the area are advised to rely on their skills and own personal hiking equipment in the event of an emergency.
NPS statistics show that 1.2 million visitors have visited the island since its opening around 84 years ago.
Around 4,000 people died in U.S. national parks during 2007- 2024, with an average of around 360 deaths a year between 2014 and 2019. Around half of all medical deaths were the result of physical activity across all U.S. parks.
Over this summer, two people died from heat exhaustion after hiking at California’s Death Valley National Park, one of the hottest and driest areas in the United States.