Updated 2:35 p.m.
Juneau resident Peter J. McKay, 63, was found unconscious on the Flume Trail on Saturday afternoon. He was pronounced dead after passersby and first responders administered CPR.
McKay was found about a half mile from the Basin Road trailhead.
Juneau Police Department received a call around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
“The dispatcher heard from the caller that there was a male who had collapsed possibly while hiking and they initiated bystander CPR with that caller,” says Juneau Police spokeswoman Erann Kalwara.
Capital City Fire/Rescue and two downtown police officers arrived at the Basin Road trailhead about 4:50 p.m. The caller met them and directed them to McKay.
“While they were doing that two other individuals who had been walking the trail continued with CPR until the fire department arrived on scene,” says Kalwara.
CCFR assistant chief Brian Long says McKay was declared dead at 5:34 p.m.
This is not the first-trail related death this season. In early May, a 61-year-old Juneau woman was found unconscious off Salmon Creek Trail and was, shortly after, pronounced dead.
Long says trail-related deaths are unusual, but not surprising.
“We have very active trail use here and it’s inevitable at some point somebody’s going to suffer a medical or traumatic incident on one of our trails,” Long says.
McKay’s family has been notified and his body has been sent to the state medical examiner.
