[at-l] Hiker's death in Indiana

[kniccum@seidata.com (Kathy Niccum)]

I haven't heard of any deaths in my area, and just did a quick search of the
local online newspapers.
Contrary to most beliefs, Indiana does have hills and cliffs.  Clifty Falls
State Park in Madison, IN on the Ohio River has some spectacular cliffs and
water falls.  Other areas westward along the Ohio River also have cliffs at
least 70 feet high.
The county in which I live, Switzerland County, was named because it
reminded the immigrants from Switzerland of their home.
Do you know where they lived?  I could do a search more in their area.

Kathy
----- Original Message -----
From: <ATnavi@aol.com>
To: <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, May 14, 2002 9:09 PM
Subject: [at-l] Hiker's death in Indiana


> Last summer, I spent a wonderful week in Glenwood Springs, CO, with a
> friend's family...all very outdoors-minded. We went hiking, hiking, and
more
> hiking, rafting and swimming, driving and more hiking.
>
> I found out this afternoon that their daughter, a junior in a private high
> school in Indiana, was on a hiking trip two Sundays ago when she slipped
and
> fell in a precarious spot. She's a sweet kid, but severely learning
disabled,
> IQ of 73. Supposedly, the adults leading the hike (on which she was the
only
> gal) told her to remain calm and they'd try and pull her back up the
ledge.
> Instead, she freaked and tried to scramble up the sharp slope on her own.
She
> let go of the bush that checked her fall...and fell over the cliff, 70
feet
> to her death.
>
> As a friend, and as a group hike leader, I'm in shock. Don't know if you
> Indiana hikers heard about a hiker's death a couple of weeks ago, but I'm
> curious...what trail in Indiana has cliffs more than 70 feet tall? And
what
> the hell were these guys thinking, to take learning-disabled kids out on a
> potentially dangerous trail? If you can point me to any news stories on
the
> incident, I'd appreciate it. Words can't express my sorrow to see this
young
> girl die during a hike, and this family shattered by it.
>
> With heavy heart,
> Navigator
>