A Texas man on a cruise to Alaska is dead after falling from a trail during a hike, authorities say

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — One man is dead and another injured after falling from a trail in the mountains above downtown Juneau, authorities said. Both men were cruise ship passengers who were visiting Alaska’s capital city.

Alaska State Troopers said they were notified late Tuesday about a search and rescue involving two men who had fallen from a trail and slid down the mountainside. One of the men was found with minor injuries. The body of the other man, a 36-year-old from Texas, was located by drones farther down the mountain, according to troopers, who said he died from injuries sustained in the fall.

One of the men had called 911 for help, troopers’ spokesperson Tess Williams said by email. She said the men had mistakenly followed a path that was not the actual trail and is in the vicinity of a tram. The tram shuttles people between the downtown area where cruise ships dock and a developed site about 1,800 feet (548.6 meters) up a mountainside; it’s popular with cruise passengers. The Mount Roberts trail passes through that area and heads up toward a ridgeline and peaks that tower over downtown.

Williams said at the time of the incident it was dark with dense fog and periods of light rain. She said the ground was soggy and wet, and conditions off trail were slick.

In July, another cruise passenger, a Kentucky woman, also was found dead in the mountains above downtown Juneau. Authorities had initiated a search for her after she did not return to her cruise ship following a hike.