Person admits pulling down historic tram tower during emergency, National Park Service says

A person who damaged a historic aerial tram tower last month at Death Valley National Park turned themselves in, saying they did it as a last resort during an emergency, according to the National Park Service.

The park service announced Monday that someone pulled the tower down when they used a winch attached to the structure to pull a vehicle out of the mud. The force pulled the structure’s concrete footings from the ground, officials said.

After the announcement, the person responsible called the agency tip line, officials said. They said they used the tower to pull their car from the mud “during a time of desperation,” officials said. The incident happened April 19, officials said.

The park service said cell phone coverage is spotty in the park, and it’s important to stay on paved roads. 

Acting park Superintendent Elizabeth Ibañez said she wished the incident had never happened, but she thanked the driver for coming forward.

“We are grateful to the dozens of people who reached out to the park with information and for all the statements of support that we received from people who care about this place and its cultural resources,” she said.

The 113-year-old tower was park of a 13-mile tram line that once transported salt from a mine in Saline Valley to Owens Valley, California, for the Saline Valley Salt Company.

The tramway climbed as high as 7,000 feet at angles of up to 40 degrees. The tram was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

The park’s resource management team is assessing damage and making plans to restore the tram tower, officials said.