Teen Dies When Swept Over Waterfall At State Park

By Mike Perleberg Hoffman Falls at Clifty Falls State Park. Photo by Visual Journey Studios. (Jefferson County, Ind.) - The Indiana Department of Natural Resources is urging visitors to “stay on the trail” after a death at Clifty Falls State Park. Indiana Conservation Officers and emergency personnel from other agencies recovered the body of a juvenile who apparently slipped over Hoffman Falls, one of the park’s large waterfalls, on Tuesday. The call for the accident came in at around noon. Two juveniles were hiking off the designated trail near Hoffman Falls when one slipped into the moving water and went over the edge of the 78-foot waterfall. The victim is reported to be a 17-year-old boy. The person’s name is being withheld at this time, said conservation officers. No foul play is suspected. Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department, Kings Daughters Hospital EMS, Black Sheep Clifty Six Fire and Rescue assisted in the recovery. “Clifty Falls State Park is a unique DNR property on the Ohio River near Madison. Its notable rugged features include steep canyon walls, ravines, and several waterfalls. The DNR encourages park visitors to adhere to park trails for the protection of the park and their own safety,” said Indiana Conservation Officer Travis A. Stewart in a news release.