Latest news with #JackWersching
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hiker dies after fall from rock ledge on trail to one of New York's tallest waterfalls
A 70-year-old hiker died after falling on a popular Catskill Mountains trail in the town of Hunter, Greene County, on Friday. New York State Police responded at 6:16 p.m. to a call reporting an injured hiker in the Kaaterskill Wild Forest, according to the agency. Forest rangers from the state Department of Environmental Conservation also responded. Jack Wersching, 70, of Park Ridge, Illinois, was injured after falling from a rock ledge onto the stone steps of the Kaaterskill Falls Access Trail, police said. Responders provided medical assistance and carried Wersching to the trailhead, where emergency crews attempted to stabilize him for helicopter transport to a hospital. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 'DEC sends our condolences to the hiker's family and thanks the first responders for their efforts,' the agency said in a statement. Kaaterskill Falls, a two-tiered waterfall, is among the Catskills' most popular hiking destinations, estimated to draw more than 150,000 visitors annually. But its steep terrain and slippery rocks have contributed to at least 10 deaths since 1992, including several cases in which hikers fell over the falls while attempting to take photos. Two people died in the summer of 2014. The DEC briefly restricted access to the falls for upgrades in 2015. State officials have invested more than $1 million over the past decade on safety improvements, including the installation of warning signs, fences, stone steps, a viewing platform and guardrails at the top of the falls. The falls total about 260 feet in tandem, making the combined drop taller than Niagara Falls and Taughannock Falls. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Illinois hiker dies on Kaaterskill Falls trail in Catskills. New York
New York Post
14 hours ago
- New York Post
Elderly tourist falls to death while hiking New York state park
An elderly Illinois tourist plunged to his death while hiking at a New York state park after he fell from a rock ledge onto stone steps below, according to state authorities. Married father Jack Wersching, 70, was walking along a waterfall path at the Kaaterskill Wild Forest in the Catskills Friday evening when he fell onto a trailway below, the New York State Police said Tuesday. Park rangers rushed to the scene and extricated Wersching from the trailhead around 6:45 p.m., the state Department of Environmental Conservation said in a press release. The state park is in the Catskills. Albany Times Union via Getty Ima The rangers then tried to stabilize the Illinois native so first responders could airlift him to a hospital, but he died from his 'severe injuries' at the scene, officials said. Wersching, who lived in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, was remembered as someone who lived 'fully, passionately, and on his own terms.' 'He embraced each day with an Epicurean spirit – always chasing adventure, seeking knowledge, and finding joy in the little things,' his daughter said in a heartfelt Facebook post. 'His final days were spent doing what he loved most: exploring, learning, and being in awe of the world.' The 70-year-old was hiking with his wife and daughter. shilo__shalom/Instsagram A witness who helped Wersching said he heard screams for help and saw the victim lying on the ground with serious injuries. Shilo Shalom said he tried to help him, and used shirts to slow the bleeding. Shalom, an Israeli native, initially ran into Wersching, his wife and daughter earlier in the day while he was hiking with his little sister. The two groups even took photos of each other before Wersching's fall. 'I just tried to save him and I couldn't,' he said in an interview. State police said the investigation is ongoing.
