November 27, 2011
By Angela Brandt, Missoulian.com
HELENA - A 32-year-old East Helena man died Sunday morning after
collapsing while hunting near Clancy.
Justin E. Jones, 32, of East Helena died at about 11:30 a.m. after
being taken to St. Peter's Hospital by his hunting partners, Lewis
and Clark County Coroner Mickey Nelson said.
Jones had just killed an animal when he was stricken with a
life-threatening medical condition. Nelson said an autopsy will be
conducted Monday to determine the exact cause of death.
Officials say a massive heart attack caused the death of another
hunter - 59-year-old man - who was found by a friend facedown in the
snow near Flesher Pass.
Marvin Dale Harlin of Great Falls suffered the fatal heart attack
as he was walking up an old logging road while hunting on Saturday
afternoon, according to Lewis and Clark County Chief Deputy Coroner
Ray Vonada.
Sheriff's deputies, who helped retrieve Harlin's body alongside
Lewis and Clark Search and Rescue crews, investigated the death and
found no evidence of foul play, Sheriff Leo Dutton said Sunday.
Dutton said Harlin and a friend, who lives in Helena, were
hunting together and after a while split up. The friend returned to
their pickup, and when Harlin did not return for quite some time, he
became worried. According to Dutton, the friend walked back up a
trail and found Harlin facedown in the snow.
The friend ran to the nearest home on the 11000 block of Lincoln
Road West and called 9-1-1 at about 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
Officials were not able to get a vehicle up to the spot and used
snowmobiles to access the area. Harlin's body was loaded onto a sled
and transported to an awaiting ambulance about 4 p.m., Dutton said.
