Woman drowns after falling into waterfall in Montana national park

A woman has drowned after falling and getting swept over by a waterfall at a popular national park in Montana.

On Monday, federal officials announced that a 26-year-old woman from Pennsylvania drowned after falling into the water above St Mary’s Falls on the east side of Glacier national park.

“According to witnesses, the woman was washed over the falls and trapped under water for several minutes,” the national park service said. “Bystanders pulled her from the water below the falls and administered CPR until emergency responders arrived.”

Park rangers, an ambulance crew and a rescue helicopter all arrived at the scene of the woman’s fall around 6.20pm as first responders tried to resuscitate her. But she never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead at about 7.20pm.

The woman’s death remained under investigation on Tuesday, and a state medical examiner was planning to perform an autopsy. The national park service said it was working to notify her family and did not immediately release her name to the public.

“The park extends their deepest condolences to family and friends of the woman and asks that the public respect their privacy,” officials said.

Monday’s death at Glacier national park follows a slew of hiking mishaps across the US.

Related: Man survives being lost in California mountains for 10 days by eating berries

On Saturday, reports emerged of a man surviving in the Santa Cruz mountains in California for 10 days by eating wild berries after he got lost during a hike. The man said wildfires had destroyed landmarks that would help him navigate the area.

In February, the body of a 22-year-old hiker was recovered from California’s Mount Baldy following a weeklong search for her amid heavy snow and winter conditions.

Last September, a 61-year-old hiker died after she fell off a waterfall outlook in North Carolina.

That same month, a 55-year-old man died while attempting an 18-mile (28km) hike from Grand Canyon national park’s south rim to the north rim as park officials warned of an intense heatwave at the time and the rigorous nature of the hike.