Hiker’s wilderness adventure ends in tragedy at popular park destination

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An Illinois man died after falling while hiking at a state park in New York.

The 70-year-old tourist, Jack Wersching, was hiking in the Kaaterskill Wild Forest in the Catskills on the evening of Friday, June 20, when he fell from a rock ledge onto stone steps below, according to a statement from New York State Police.

Wersching, of Park Ridge, Illinois, was walking along a path near a waterfall when the incident occurred. 

Park rangers responded quickly to the scene and attempted to stabilize him for an airlift to a hospital, but he died at the scene.

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People who hiked to the Kaaterskill Falls swim and enjoy the view on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021 in Haines Falls, N.Y.  (Photo by Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

“DEC sends our condolences to the hiker’s family, and thanks the first responders for their efforts,” the Department of Environmental Conservation said in a statement, adding that it was investigating.

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Views during a hike at the Kaaterskill Wild Forest in New York. (Getty Images)

A witness to the accident told the New York Post that he recalled hearing cries for help and finding Wersching badly injured. 

Shilo Shalom, who had briefly met Wersching and his family earlier in the day while hiking, told the outlet he had attempted to assist by using shirts to stem the bleeding. 

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A 70-year-old tourist fell to his death from a rock ledge at a New York state park last week. (iStock)

“I just tried to save him, and I couldn’t,” Shalom told the outlet. 

Wersching’s family also shared a statement with the Post and described him as a “loving husband, father, and grandfather, remembering him as someone who approached life with curiosity and a sense of adventure.”

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“Though we are devastated by this loss, we take comfort in knowing he was doing something he truly loved when he passed,” Wersching’s family said in the statement. 

Stepheny Price is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business. She covers topics including missing persons, homicides, national crime cases, illegal immigration, and more. Story tips and ideas can be sent to stepheny.price@fox.com