17-year-old dead after a fall at Petit Jean State Park

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) — The Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism announced Tuesday a 17-year-old died from a fall at Petit Jean State Park on Saturday. Shealyn Sowers, the Chief of Communications at the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage, and Tourism, said the male died from falling from a large rock off the Bear Cave Trail on Saturday afternoon. Authorities with the park were alerted at 4:02 p.m. that a child had fallen and was struggling to breathe. When the park rangers arrived, they found the 17-year-old in a tight spot between two cliffs. Park rangers worked on stabilizing him while trying to find the best extraction route. The park rangers were able to get him out from between the two cliffs and took him to an ambulance on the main trail. From there, the ambulance took him to Petit Jean Airport, where Med-Flight was stationed. Park rangers then returned to the Bear Cave Trail to rescue the victim's stranded friends. The 17-year-old finally arrived at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, where he later died due to the injuries he received from the fall. At 8:20 p.m. the two non-injured minors and crew were off of the rock and with their families at the Petit Jean Airport. Sowers said that an Arkansas National Guard Blackhawk assisted in rescuing the two non-injured minors.