Tourist plunges to his death in Montana's Glacier Park while taking photos

Virginia Falls in Glacier National Park (NPS)

Officials with Montana's Glacier National Park say a visitor who was taking photographs of the scenery fell into a creek, was swept into a culvert and plunged off a steep cliff to his death.

Park officials said in a statement Monday that 26-year-old Robert Durbin of Corvallis, Montana, died Saturday.

They say Durbin was taking photos along Haystack Creek next to the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which is known for its dramatic scenery and vertigo-inducing heights.

He fell into the creek and was washed through a culvert that goes beneath the road and empties into a 100-foot drop down a cliff.

The popular road was closed to traffic for about an hour while rangers and rescuers found and recovered the man's body.

Glacier officials say the death isn't considered suspicious. Falls are a leading cause of death in the park.

William Durbin, Robert’s brother, remembered his sibling as creative with a passion for fishing.

"He had a heart of gold and would do anything for anybody," Durbin told The Missoulian. "He was always smiling. He was always happy. His major passion was fishing. He worked so he could fish."

The Associated Press contributed to this report