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From Phil McCausland and Associated Press
Three people died in national parks across the country, including a 14-year-old girl who fell 700 feet into a canyon. since the beginning of the government shutdown, during which the Trump administration has chosen to leave the parks open.
At Glen Canyon National Park, Arizona, the 14-year-old girl fell off Horseshoe Bend Overlook on Christmas Eve, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office confirmed.
A helicopter from the Arizona Department of Public Security was not able to recover his body until the next morning, Christmas Day.
Later, on Christmas Day, in Yosemite National Park, California, a man died after slipping on a long granite hill and falling into a river, injuring his head, according to the report. Associated Press.
Andrew Munoz, spokesman for the National Park Service, told AP that the investigation into the death of humans takes longer than usual bec a use of the current stop. He added that the closure had also delayed the announcement of the death of the man by the parks department.
A third person died Thursday of this week, when strong winds brought down a tree on the roof of a woman and her 6 year old son. in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee, reported the AP. The woman died and her son broke his leg in the accident.
The Washington Post first reported on Friday the series of deaths in national parks during the government's closure.
The National Park Service did not immediately respond to NBC. Request for News comments on deaths and the impact of the government closure.
Many of the thousands of National Park guards are on leave because of the closure that began on December 22, making life in the parks more dangerous and affecting their ability.
Unlike some recent government closures, the Trump administration has chosen to keep national parks open, and many people visit them, with some noting that they do not have to pay the usual entrance fees.
The Clinton administration in 1995 and the Obama administration in 2013 chose to close all the parks at the respective closures of the government. In 2013, Republicans strongly criticized the Obama White House for its decision to close the World War II Memorial in Washington DC
. Because the parks are open, the number of security guards has dropped sharply during the current closure. There is also no regular garbage collection or garbage disposal in many bathrooms, which could pose risks to people and the environment.
Diane Regas, President and CEO of the Trust for Public Land, wrote a letter to President Donald Trump on Thursday asking that the administration close the parks "to protect the health and safety of visitors and to protect the park's resources. "
"Millions of people visit national parks every year and the federal government has a responsibility to ensure their health and safety. , Writes Regas. "And yet, when shutting down, we learn that garbage and human waste are piling up on roads and campgrounds in places like Rocky Mountain National Park and Joshua Tree National Park." Hundreds of people are injured in national parks every year, and search and rescue personnel are also unacceptable. "
Esther Rivera Murdock, Executive Director of Rocky Mountain Conservancy – a non-profit organization that supports Rocky Mountain National Park – said she was discouraging people from entering the parks during the closure.
She Many parks in Colorado and the West were lucky because the snowfall and lack of plowing due to the closure had a natural deterrent effect on visitors.
"I do not want to encourage my staff and visitors to be in the parking lot unnecessarily at any time because it's dangerous [without park rangers]," she said. There is no regular response time. "
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