Great Smoky Mountains National Park rangers responded to a medical emergency involving a bicyclist on the Foothills Parkway at 11:16 a.m. on Sunday, May 17. Michael Barker, 59 from Seymour, Tenn., was riding his bicycle approximately 5 miles east of Walland when he suffered a cardiac arrest. Emergency responders and medically trained bystanders performed CPR on site before Barker was transported to Blount Memorial Hospital and pronounced deceased.
In addition to National Park Service employees, emergency responders with American Medical Response (AMR) and Blount County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene. No additional details are available at this time.
– National Park Service release
