KU graduate student identified as woman who fell and drowned in Glacier National Park
The Kansas woman who drowned earlier this week at Glacier National Park was identified as a 28-year-old University of Kansas graduate student Atheer Abdulrahman S. Alquahtani, park officials said Friday.
Alquahtani, who was from Saudi Arabia and living in Lawrence, was visiting the park after finishing the first year of her master’s degree program at the University of Kansas, according to a news release from the park service. She was on a road trip touring national parks with friends to celebrate.
Alquahtani fell off a rocky overhang into Avalanche Creek and was swept into the gorge. Bystanders spotted her in the creek passing under the bridge of Trail of the Cedars. They waded in, pulled her out and began CPR. They sent others to notify rangers and call 911.
National Park Service staff, along with an ALERT medical/rescue helicopter and Three Rivers EMS ambulance, responded to the area. She was pronounced dead at the side of the creek.
Friends who were traveling with Alquahtani described her as a risk taker who loved getting in and being near water, according to the park service.
Investigators said there were no indications of foul play, according to the news release.
The area where she fell is off-trail and an area where other visitors take the same risk. Water-related incidents like the one that killed Alquahtani are the number one cause of death at Glacier National Park, according to the park service. Visitors are encouraged to take extra precautions when approaching areas with water, especially during spring runoff.
This story was originally published May 26, 2023 at 1:46 PM.
