Fatal Falls: Recent Deaths Show Hiking Perils

HUNTER, NY — The beauty of Kaaterskill Falls in Greene County is what draws so many visitors to the area year after year.

But with the great beauty of the Catskills comes the acknowledgement that nature can present dangers as well, and those hiking or camping in it should be aware of them.

Two Westfield, NJ residents were killed over the last month in the same area of the Kaaterskill Wild Forest.

Ezra Kennedy, 17, was hiking with a group of people July 27 when he reached the top of the lower Kaaterskill Falls.

He lost his footing on wet rock and fell about 50 feet to his death.

On August 19, Marcie Yates, 56, was hiking on a narrow trail near Kaaterskill Creek when she slipped and fell 100 feet into a ravine. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

And in Vermont, on August 25, an Irvington, NY 17-year-old was killed when he slipped and fell from the highest of three pools at Hamilton Falls in Jamaica.

Tyler Rosenberg survived the fall and was revived using CPR at the scene but he died later that day in the hospital.

Hiking websites, such as hikethehudsonvalley.com, point out that it is very important to pay attention to signage that warn of the possibility of parts of the trail being prone to erosion, not to mention wet rocks being dangerous.

The state Department of Environmental Conservation has had a public safety project in effect since July 2015 at Kaaterskill Falls, in which new trails will be added, along with better accessibility to views of the falls.

The department also is in the process of installing permanent anchor points, which will allow safety ropes to be quickly and safely secured during rescue operations.

The DEC said that will protect rescuers, as well as those being rescued, from falls and injury.

Directions to the trail heads at the bottom and the top of Kaaterskill Falls, along with good safety tips, can be found at Catskill Mountaineer.

Photo caption: Sign that leads hikers to Kaaterskill Falls in Greene County, New York. Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org by FlyingLeopard2014.