Internal memo tells staff to stay mum on deaths at national parks - The Washington Post

Published
June 24, 2026
Outcome
Fatal
Location
Washington
Sequoia National Park, Yosemite National Park, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Incident type
Drowning, Motorcycle

Summary

Motorcycle Crash Washington Today in Washington: An internal memo from the Interior Department instructed national parks staff not to confirm deaths, severity of injuries, or other details. The article cites several incidents: a 17-year-old girl drowned in Sequoia National Park after slipping into a river on Friday; a 23-year-old man died after falling over a waterfall in Yosemite on Saturday; a body was found in the desert at Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument the same weekend; and a motorcycle accident killed one person in Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Original reporting

Internal memo tells staff to stay mum on deaths at national parks - The Washington Post

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