Person who damaged historic tower in Death Valley comes forward

(KLAS) – The person who damaged a 113-year-old historic tower in California's Death Valley contacted the National Park Service to accept responsibility for their actions.

Last week, the National Park Service (NPS) had announced that a salt tram tower in Saline Valley had been damaged on April 19, 2024, after having been used by someone as an anchoring point for a winch, to pull their vehicle out of the mud. In the process, the tower was knocked down.

Those with information into the incident were urged to contact NPS officials.

Several days later, the NPS announced that the person responsible for the incident had come forward via its tip line.

“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,” said acting Superintendent Elizabeth Ibañez in a press release. “Although we would certainly prefer that this damage hadn’t happened, we are glad that the person who did this ultimately took responsibility for their actions and came forward.”

The NPS did not identify the person responsible. The agency did, however, explain the alleged circumstances surrounding the incident, saying the driver was stuck "deeply" in mud, and chose to hook a winch to the tower out of "desperation."

The park service is still assessing the damage and determining what restoration will be needed, and said no visitors should attempt to repair it.

The latest NPS press release did not detail any penalties the driver might face, though a Death Valley official had previously made mention of possible "restitution."

The Saline Valley Salt Company built the 13-mile aerial tram to transport salt from Saline Valley to Owens Valley in 1911. The tramway, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, climbed more than 7,000 feet at steep vertical grades.