News

Actions

Falling tree kills Boy Scout at Red River Gorge

Boy was camping with troop from Louisville
Posted at 2:28 PM, Nov 06, 2016
and last updated 2016-11-06 14:53:37-05

CINCINNATI -- An 11-year-old Boy Scout died Saturday night when a tree fell on him at Red River Gorge.

The Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team reported the boy was camping near Chimney Top Creek with his troop from Louisville. The tree, about 18 inches in diameter, fell onto his tent and hit him in the head at about 8:30 p.m.

A pair of doctors camping nearby tried performing CPR. Search and rescue personnel also tried reviving him, but he died immediately when the tree hit him.

Powell County Search and Rescue also went to the scene and provided a chaplain.

"We ask that you keep the boy's family, his Boy Scout Troop, and the responding agencies in your thoughts as solace is sought after this disturbing event," the Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team wrote on Facebook.

The gorge, a geological formation located about 100 miles southeast of Cincinnati, is a popular destination for novice hikers and experienced rock climbers alike.

Members of the Wolfe County Search and Rescue Team work to recover the body of a man who fell from Chimney Top Rock in December 2015.

When people have died there in the past, it's often because they fell from one of its steep cliffs. Some of them have crossed a railing at the Chimney Top Rock overlook and fallen to their deaths when they try to climb back to safety. The overlook was the site of three deaths last year, including two men from the Cincinnati area.