Tragedy at Kaaterskill: Sad Outcome Following Elderly Woman’s Horrific Fall

An Illinois woman died following a tragic fall in Green County's Kaaterskill Wild Forest.

On Friday June 20th, according to New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers responded to a 911 call regarding an injured hiker at the Kaaterskill Falls access trail. By the end of that evening the woman had died from her injuries. Here's what happened.

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Kaaterskill Wild Forest in the town of Hunter, New York is more than 7,500 acres of mountains, deep valleys, steep cliffs and is home to the iconic Kaaterskill Falls. People from all over the world make their way to this destination to hike, swim and enjoy the woods of New York.

As beautiful as Kaaterskill is, the trails can be hazardous when wet, covered with leaves or if you are just not paying attention. Here is what happened on June 20th.

On June 20th at approximately 6:45pm, DEC Forest Rangers and local emergency services responded to a call regarding an injured hiker on the Kaaterskill Falls Access trail in the Kaaterskill Wild Forest.

Rangers located the 70-year-old hiker from Illinois with serious fall-related injuries at the location. Responders provided medical care at the scene, extricated the subject to the trailhead, and attempted to stabilize the subject for transport to a hospital via helicopter. However, the hiker succumbed to the severe level of injury and was declared deceased at the trailhead.