Family finds hiker dead after 150-foot tumble in Alaska national park, rangers say

A hiker at an Alaska national park asked a family member for help — then rolled 150 feet down a slope.

David Shrider, 52, was on a hiking trip with five friends and family members at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve.

His family found him dead after he tumbled down a slope and his son called 911, according to a National Park Service news release.

The park’s search and rescue team recovered his body by helicopter. The official cause of death has not been determined.

Shrider was a beloved professor at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, according to the university’s Farmer School of Business. He graduated from Miami in 1992 and returned as a Department of Finance professor in 2004.

“David was one of the most positive people I’ve ever known, always sporting a smile (and often a bow tie),” one person said on Facebook. “You always felt better about yourself, work, life, etc after talking with him.”

Shrider was named the outstanding professor by the university’s student government in 2020.

“David was much loved as a valuable friend and colleague of many at the Farmer School, Miami University and the Oxford community at large,” the Farmer School of Business said on Facebook. “His positive impact and connection with his students was immeasurable.”

Shrider’s death comes one month after another hiker lost his footing on a snowy slope at Wrangell-St. Elias and rolled hundreds of feet. His fall triggered a snow slide that swept him into a ravine, McClatchy News reported.

In early June, the Alaska National Guard rescued 12 mountaineers in the national park after bad weather left them stranded.

Most of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve is backcountry and remote, according to the National Park Service. Cellphone service is limited, and tourists have to take extra precautions.

There are few maintained trails and many unpaved roads within the national park.

“Visitor services are limited, access can be challenging, weather varies widely, and a variety of wildlife can be encountered,” the National Park Service said. “Flexibility and patience are required.”

This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 2:10 PM with the headline "Family finds hiker dead after 150-foot tumble in Alaska national park, rangers say."