11-70
With great sadness, Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced today that Wilson, Wyoming resident Huntley Baldwin, 72, died while bicycling in Grand Teton National Park on Tuesday, August 9. Mr. Baldwin was pronounced dead on scene by Dr. Will Smith, the park’s co-medical director, at 11:47 a.m.
“I know I speak for all of us in Grand Teton when I say that our heartfelt condolences go out to Joan and the Baldwin family for this sudden loss of Huntley,” said Superintendent Scott. “Many of us have been longtime fans of Huntley’s literary and artistic works. The loss of a beloved Jackson Hole resident who appreciated and supported this park is especially difficult.”
Baldwin, a well known local artist and author, was biking on the park’s multi-use pathway just north of the Cottonwood Creek Bridge when other bicyclists found him unresponsive and lying near the side of the pathway. One bicyclist placed a 911 call at 10:55 a.m. that was connected to the Teton Interagency Dispatch Center. A page was immediately issued for park emergency medical services (EMS) personnel to respond; rangers arrived on scene at 11 a.m. and Medic 2, a park ambulance, arrived at 11:01 a.m.
Several rangers along with Dr. Smith were diverted from a search and rescue operation that was in progress at the Lupine Meadows rescue cache about four miles north. When rangers arrived on scene, Baldwin was in cardiac arrest and three visitors with emergency medical training had initiated CPR.
Twenty rangers from multiple park divisions including EMS, law enforcement, maintenance, and visitor services (fee collection)—along with three bystanders—worked for nearly an hour on resuscitative efforts and scene management, including traffic control.
“I personally witnessed the coordinated emergency response by park staff, and I want to commend the collective efforts of everyone involved, including the actions of the Good Samaritans who initiated CPR. The quick and skilled actions by each and every responder provided Huntley with the best possible care during a very difficult situation,” said Superintendent Scott.
