Rescue At Kaaterskill Falls

[wanderingspirit]

While driving up Rt. 23a this afternoon I saw a large group of emergency vehicles ( fire/rescue, ems, state police, forest ranger, and DEC police) parked in front of the trail head for the Kaaterskill Falls trail. As I approached Tannersville I noticed what appeared to be a state helicopter flying low and heading in the direction of the falls. Hope it was not anything too serious. Anyone from that area hear any news?

[Mark Schaefer]

Both Channel 6, WRGB, Schenectady and Channel 10, WTEN, Albany carried the story in the 6 pm news hour.

A 12 year old boy from Ulster County was hiking near the Kaaterskill Falls with his family. He reportedly fell down a 60' cliff. He was transported by helicopter to Albany Medical Center. His condition has not yet been reported. Both stations stated they should have an update during the 11 pm news.

[mountainmeijin]

I'll bet he was trying to climb to the area below the upper falls. That's a tricky ledge to navigate. I hope that the boy recovers.

[Mark Schaefer]

I'll bet he was trying to climb to the area below the upper falls. That's a tricky ledge to navigate. I hope that the boy recovers.
There is a short account on the WRGB website (http://www.cbs6albany.com/articles/falls_23466___article.html/boy_park.html). They probably were climbing up from the base of the lower falls to the base of the upper falls. This account states "He plunged approximately 60 feet and landed in a very rocky and shallow pool of water." Perhaps he fell into the lower pool from part way up the 85' lower falls. Or perhaps they had already made that ascent and were on the narrow ledge behind the upper falls. From there he may have tumbled 60' down the approximately 45 degree slope into the pool at the base of the upper falls. The latter would be a more survivable scenario.

The article also states "His condition is listed as serious at this time."

[mountainmeijin]

I was there today. Someone left a bouquet of roses under a rock below the rim of the amphitheatre behind the upper falls, just above the pool that the flow collects in. I wonder if that marks the site of the accident. Any updates about the boy?

[Mark Schaefer]

After a couple of days the television and radio reports stopped. That is probably an indication that the boy survived. Bad news would have been broadcast, so no news is usually good or at least neutral news.

To my knowledge the boy's name was never released, and the story never hit the local newspapers that serve Ulster County where the family was reported to have been from. Assuming that the family asked for privacy, we will not likely hear anything more unless it is bad news.

On 10/15/04 many here may remember that a woman fell (http://www.viewsfromthetop.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3905) from the top of the 175' upper falls to the pool at its base. She survived the fall, and the news reports similarly ceased after a few days. A few months after the accident I received an email from her college roommate asking if I could send her photos of the waterfalls. She contacted me as a result of the VFTT thread in which I had mentioned that I had taken pictures of the waterfalls that day, although I had left the falls a few hours before the accident. In the exchange of emails I did ascertain that the woman had made a full recovery.

And on the subject of accidents, there was also a fatality in the Platte Clove (http://www.dailyfreeman.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18665211&BRD=1769&PAG=461) on Saturday. A woman riding a motorcycle went off the road, down the steep south embankment, and hit a tree and boulder. A passenger on the motorcycle survived. Be careful in those beautiful but dangerous cloves.

[Mark Schaefer]

It happened again. At about 4:30 pm Sunday, 8/19, a 22 year old man fell 60' or 80' (per different WRGB and WTEN (http://www.wten.com/Global/story.asp?S=6955113) reports) in the lower falls area. One of the reports stated he had gone over the falls. The man was airlifted out and is in critical condition at the Albany Medical Center with chest and clavicle injuries.

One of the reports mentioned that the 12 year old boy from Kingston NY involved in the July 29 accident had survived, but gave no additional details.

[Dick]

And on the subject of accidents, there was also a fatality in the Platte Clove (http://www.dailyfreeman.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18665211&BRD=1769&PAG=461) on Saturday. A woman riding a motorcycle went off the road, down the steep south embankment, and hit a tree and boulder. A passenger on the motorcycle survived. Be careful in those beautiful but dangerous cloves.

While driving up Platte Clove Rd. that same day, someone was coming down at a good clip, apparently unaware or did not care that we were there, forcing us over to the side of the road, even though they had plenty of time to slow down and move over. Descending this road later in the afternoon after the accident, we were quite surprised by the amount of traffic on that road.

Dick

[mountainmeijin]

I'm honestly surprised that there aren't more accidents in the area considering how many people visit.

[snowshoe]

I'm honestly surprised that there aren't more accidents in the area considering how many people visit.

It is amazing when you think about the amout of people that hike the areas. I have always said that about North Jersey or anywhere really. For the amout of rocks on the trails it suprises me we dont go more broken ankles or even more falls in the waterfalls or off cliffs. We get a lot of lost people but usually they are lost on a marked trail. They just past the turnoff or something and rather backtrack they just call.