Lake Forest teen dies in Wyoming wilderness (original) (raw)
Elizabeth Burns, a Lake Forest teen with a love for the outdoors, died on a Wyoming backpacking trip Monday when a 75-foot tree fell on her.
Authorities said the tree fell as members of Burns’ group were trying to hang food in a “bear bag” — a bundle suspended from one or two trees to keep it away from bears and other scavengers.
Burns, 16, was kneeling about 66 feet from the base of tree when it fell on her, according to the Teton County Sheriff’s Office in Jackson Hole. She was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering blunt force trauma to the head, the sheriff’s office said.
Her death, which authorities classified as an accident, came as a shock to those who knew her. She would have been a junior at Lake Forest High School this fall, and a classmate recalled her as kind and effervescent.
“She was always in a good mood,” said Nikki Landsell, 15, who performed with Burns on the school’s pompom team. “She just loved life and didn’t let anything bother her. She had such a great positive attitude. It just made me so happy to have her on the team.”
Burns also volunteered for work trips run by the youth group at the First Presbyterian Church of Lake Forest. Pastor Christine Chakoian said Burns recently returned from a work trip at a camp for the developmentally disabled in Missouri.
Burns and other volunteers repaired buildings and worked with children, and the teen even spent her break time playing with the kids, Chakoian said.
“She was spirited and friendly and (had) the kindest heart in the universe,” the pastor said. ” … She was resilient in a way some people never get to. She could take her lumps and welcome the next day with open arms.”
Burns had gone to Wyoming for an outing run by Wilderness Ventures, authorities said. The company, based near Jackson Hole, provides summer camps and “adventure programs” for teens, according to its website. Company officials could not be reached for comment.
Authorities said two guides were with Burns’ group when the tree fell about 2:45 p.m. at a campsite in the Teton Wilderness, about 50 miles northeast of Jackson Hole. The tree, about 2 feet in diameter, was dead.
The youth group at First Presbyterian was to gather Tuesday night to remember Burns, Chakoian said. A memorial service will follow this week, she said.
Originally Published: July 20, 2011 at 1:00 AM CDT