Hiking accident claims the life of a Troy resident

A 45-year-old Troy man fell to his death while hiking Saturday afternoon. Jesse Christopher Lowry fell off a cliff while hiking an unmaintained trail about three miles up the West Fork of the Yaak, according to a statement released Monday by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office.

Lincoln County Dispatch received a call about the accident at approximately 6:50 p.m. Saturday afternoon, reporting that Lowry had fallen. Deputy John Davis responded to the scene, where Upper Yaak Volunteer Fire Chief Mike Sanders was already present. Sanders advised Deputy White that the victim had been deceased for “some time.”

Troy Volunteer Ambulance and David Thompson Search and Rescue also responded to the scene. The search and rescue volunteers used advanced steep bank rope rescue methods to recover Lowry’s body from its location, approximately 35 feet below the trail from which he had fallen. Response crews cleared the scene just before midnight.

The Sheriff’s statement indicates Lowry was walking up a steep trail in sandals when he lost his balance and tumbled off the trail, falling 35 feet to a hard rock surface. Alcohol was apparently a factor in the accident.

The caller had to leave the scene to make the call to dispatch, while the victim’s girlfriend remained at the accident site.