Since it was first established in 1931 an average of five or six people have died every year within the boundaries of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The leading cause is auto accidents which have killed 132 people. 21 died in motorcycle accidents and 2 on bicycles. 73 have died in plane crashes; 60 have drowned. 37 committed suicide. 14 have been murdered. Only one has been killed by a snake bite, and only one by a wild animal, but 8 have been killed by domestic animals. There have been 13 fatal construction accidents; eight have been killed by falling trees and three by lightning strikes. 14 have died of hypothermia and 18 fell to their deaths. Most of the rest died of health problems or unknown causes. This book catalogs all of the deaths by date and provides chapters that examine some of the most dramatic and interesting stories. This is the fifth book by the author, David Brill, who lives in Morgan County, Tennessee.
Gatlinburg, Tennessee: Great Smoky Mountains Association, 2017. 280 pages with an Index and photos. Trade paperback