The woman’s husband was also flown to a hospital by helicopter
A woman died after being pinned by a falling rock while biking with her husband on the Great Allegheny Passage trail in southwestern Pennsylvania, officials said.
The man was able to free himself and was flown by medical helicopter to a hospital, while the woman was trapped underneath the rock and died at the scene in Connellsville, Fayette County, which is in the Laurel Highlands and is around 50 miles outside of Pittsburgh.
Fayette County Coroner Dr. Bob Baker identified the woman as Gail Luck, 79, of Germantown, Wisconsin.
“Once we got there, we saw Mrs. Luck that was trapped underneath a very large rock at that time that had fallen onto the trail,” Baker said.
“We’ve never seen anything like this before,” he added.
New Haven Hose Company fire Chief Jeffery Layton described the complex efforts to remove the rock debris and get to the couple.
“This required about every tool of the trade that we had on our heavy rescue,” Layton said. “We encountered lots of trees and brush that we had to cut away to get to the gentleman. Then we used airbags and cribbing and lifted one end of the rock to remove him so EMS could treat and transport.”
Luck’s husband was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. Crews then used multiple airbags to lift the rock entirely to reach Gail Luck, who did not survive.
Popular among cyclists, the 150-mile trail, also known as the “GAP Trail,” runs from the iconic Point State Park in Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland, by way of a number of scenic and historic areas. From Cumberland, cyclists and others using the trail often connect to the C&O Canal Towpath, which makes long-distance trail travel possible between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C.
Chief Layton is urging the public to stay away from the slide zone.
“Please stay away from this area because it is very unstable. We had calls over the weekend where people were on those rocks crawling around, and that is very unstable. That rock face is still unstable. And we urge you to please stay away,” Layton said.
Baker, an avid cyclist, described the trail as typically very active, especially in the fall, and noted the rarity of the incident.
“It’s far off the trail, so it just seems like such a rare incidence to see something like this. And the amount of volume of rock that fell was just unbelievable,” Baker said.
Pittsburgh sister station WTAE has reached out to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and the Greater Allegheny Passage Conservancy.
A statement posted to the Great Allegheny Passage website said, “We are absolutely devastated. Our hearts are with the family and loved ones of the bicyclist who lost her life, and extend our hopes for recovery to the bicyclist who was injured.”
Connellsville Mayor Greg Lincoln wrote in a Facebook post, “Today a terrible accident occurred on the bike trail right outside the city.”
He continued, saying, “The couple and their family are in the thoughts and prayers of my family and everyone in Connellsville. I would like to thank the first responders and everyone who responded to this accident to help. I ask everyone to please keep them in your thoughts and prayers too.”
Hearst OwnedWTAE/Jonathan Winston
A Portion of the GAP Trail is currently closed off
The trail is now closed between mile marker 87 (where the Sheepskin Trail intersects the GAP) and 89 (Connellsville), according to a trail alert on the Great Allegheny Passage website. Shuttle service will be available from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. between the two markers. The cost is $20 per person. More information about the trail detour can be found here.
The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is leading the investigation, but the trail website states that Pennsylvania State Police are also involved in the investigation.