This sad news occurred Saturday. There are a couple of different versions of the story floating around. As usual on breaking news, details can vary, but these stories are so different, I don’t know what to believe. It doesn’t make the news-gathering operations, or Chimney Rock Park, look good:
The Digital Courier in Rutherford County has a photo of rescuers, but no details.
WHKP radio in Hendersonville says the child plunged 200 feet to his death:
According to television and newspaper reports, a 2-year-old boy fell some 200 feet to his death Saturday morning from the upper part of the Skyline-Cliff Trail Loop in Chimney Rock Park.
The incident happened just before 11am, when the child broke away from his mother, then ran ahead, and slipped and fell underneath some safety ropes. The child was pronounced dead at a Rutherford County hospital.
The name of the child and his family was not available over the weekend.
The Citizen-Times says a 2-year-old boy died “while hiking with his family.” Can a 2-year-old hike?
A 2-year-old South Carolina boy died Saturday from injuries he suffered in a fall while hiking with his family at Chimney Rock Park.
Park staff were notified about 10:30 a.m. that a child had fallen from one of the trails, park Superintendent Adrienne Wallace said. It’s unknown exactly how far he fell, Wallace said.
“It was several, several feet,” she said. “We do not know the exact location that he fell from, but the general area is a steep cliff area.”
Wallace declined to identify the boy but said his parents are from Spartanburg, S.C. The incident remains under investigation by park staff.
Within a minute after the boy fell, trail walkers arrived at the scene to begin rescue efforts and summon additional help. Several emergency, fire and police crews responded, she said.
WLOSer Kassandra Pride said it was a girl who died. In setting up the story, fellow WLOSer Terrie Foster said a “young child” died. Aren’t all children young? Kassandra offered other tidbits: the fall happened on Skyline Cliff Trail, and the death as a “grisly scene” for rescuers. Click to watch their video story.
This Florida web site says “a baby in a stroller” fell and died:
ASHEVILLE, NC — The Memorial Day holiday weekend turned tragic for a family in North Carolina.
A baby in a stroller fell from a cliff at Chimney Rock State Park.
The park isn’t releasing much about the deadly fall, except the child fell a “considerable distance” and died from the injuries.
Authorities say the child fell off the cliff with at least one parent standing nearby.
2 Comments
WLOS reported in the intro that "His family near by" then one minute later the reporter says witnesses said it was a little girl. What the hell?
Man, that is a lot of variation, MUCH more than normal.