A cruise guest has died and another was injured during a hiking excursion near Juneau, Alaska this week.
It happened during the hike on the Mount Roberts Trail. The two men mistakenly veered off the main trail and fell, according to Alaska State Troopers. They went off trail near an aerial tramway that takes cruise passengers direct from the quayside up the mountain.
Hiking Companion Suffered Minor Injuries
The injured man alerted authorities in a 911 call and Alaska State Troopers and other agencies conducted a search and rescue mission on the evening of September 16.
According to Alaska State Troopers spokesperson Tess Williams, the men “slid down the steep mountainside.” She said the survivor only suffered minor injuries. The deceased man was identified as Britain Pool, 36, from Texas. She said he fell further down the cliff and was killed in the fall. The body was located by drones.
It was later recovered by State Troopers and Juneau Mountain Rescue volunteers and taken to the State Medical Examiner’s Office. It is unclear which ship the two men were sailing on. On that day there were four ships docked in Juneau – Viking Venus, Norwegian Bliss, Norwegian Encore and Caribbean Princess.
Police said the off-trail mountain conditions were “slick” after light rain and dense fog. It was already dark when they were alerted. It follows another similar incident in the mountains above Juneau just two months ago.
In July, Marites Buenafe, 62 from Kentucky, told family she planned to ride the Goldbelt Tramway up to Mount Roberts and then hike solo on the Gold Ridge and Gastineau Peak. Authorities were alerted after she failed to return to her ship, the Norwegian Bliss later that day.
Multiple agencies were involved in that search, including a canine rescue team, helicopter and drones, but it took several days to locate her body. It was eventually found 1,700 feet below the Gold Ridge.
