Hiker dies on Appalachian Trail in Maryland after winds blow dead tree onto him

Jason Parish a 36-year-old hiker from Philadelphia, died Sunday morning on the Appalachian Trail in Maryland after winds blew a large dead tree onto him, authorities said.

The incident occurred between 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. near the trail’s Ed Garvey Shelter in Washington County, Md., about 70 miles northwest of the District, said Candy Thomson, a spokeswoman for Maryland’s Natural Resources police. She said about a dozen other hikers were near the shelter when the man was killed.

The Ed Garvey Shelter, where hikers can rest or stay overnight for free, is about 80 miles south of the halfway point of the Appalachian Trail, which stretches from Maine to Georgia.

The National Parks Service is investigating the incident, assisted by Natural Resources police.

Author: Harlem Valley News