BRYSON CITY, N.C. — A visitor to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park died of a heart attack, despite efforts by fellow hikers and emergency responders.
According to a press release, Kirk Lazar, 70, of Evans, Georgia, was hiking with his wife on the Juney Whank Falls Trail near the Deep Creek Campground and Picnic Area outside Bryson City, North Carolina, when he collapsed about 100 yards from the trailhead.
Bystanders immediately started CPR until first responders from Swain County arrived. EMS workers were unable to revive Lazar and he died about 45 minutes after his collapse.
