On Monday, July 2 at approximately 8:30 p.m. the park’s communication center was notified of the discovery of a body of a young man hanging from the railroad trestle above Riley Creek. Rangers responded to the site and saw the body hanging by a rope looped around the neck from one of the low girders of the train trestle at ground level. After the initial investigation and the approval of the state medical examiner, the body was removed and taken to a funeral home in Fairbanks early this morning.
All indications at this time are that the death is a suicide, but no suicide note has been located. Identification was found on the remains, and park rangers are working with a foreign consulate to notify the next of kin. The young man was a seasonal employee working at a lodging facility outside the park. Additional information will be released pending notification of the next of kin.
The National Park Service is conducting the investigation into the death with assistance from the Alaska Railroad Police.
- NPS -
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
